IAN Launches Survey on Bullying and Children with ASD

Date First Published: October 6, 2011
Date Last Revised: March 27, 2012

Update: The preliminary results from this study are now available.

The Interactive Autism Network (IAN) Research project is launching a survey focused on bullying and children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Bullying has been identified as a major problem for children on the autism spectrum who, because of their social deficits and other challenges, are believed to be especially vulnerable targets. Children with ASD may be harassed not only in the typical way, but also when a bully purposely "triggers" an affected child’s meltdown. The Bullying and School Experiences of Children with ASD Survey will collect information on a variety of bullying situations from a large number of families to explore the extent of these problems in the lives of children with ASD.

The survey was developed by IAN’s autism experts in partnership with Dr. Catherine Bradshaw, Associate Director of the Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence and Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Prevention and Early Intervention where she collaborates on research projects examining bullying and school climate. She has served on several expert panels on bullying, including the 2011 White House Bullying Summit.

Researchers need information from families of children with a wide range of experiences in order to make comparisons and evaluate risk factors. We therefore ask families of children on the autism spectrum to take the survey whether or not their child has been bullied.

Who Can Participate?

To take the survey, you must be:

• The parent of a child with an ASD who is currently between the ages of 6 and 15.
• Enrolled in the Interactive Autism Network (IAN) Research project.
  To register, visit www.IANresearch.org.
• Living in the United States or its territories.

If you are already participating in IAN Research, the Bullying and School Experiences of Children with ASD Survey should now appear in your Family Profile under the name of your child with ASD. Simply log in at www.IANresearch.org. (Remember: if you've forgotten your password or IAN User ID, click on "forgot my password or IAN ID.")

If you have any questions, please contact the IAN Research team at 866-348-3440 or ian@kennedykrieger.org. We are here to help.

Additional Resources

• Bullying and ASD - This article explores what is known so far about bullying and children on the autism spectrum. What are the signs that a child with ASD is being bullied, and what can be done about it?