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Children with disabilities - including autism - 'struggle to protect themselves from bullying'

LONDON, UK: Children with disabilities - including autism - struggle to protect themselves from bullying because they lack confidence and friends, a British study suggests.

The study, carried out by the children's commissioner for England, also found that many victims were left feeling suicidal.

The paper, to be published on November 20, will highlight cases where disabled youngsters have been bullied. It will also include recommendations on how to deal with bullying.

Researchers examined the experiences of children with disabilities, visible illness and learning difficulties and found alarming examples of bullying.

The report will highlight the case of a young girl who had the wheels of her wheelchair removed by classmates and the case of a boy with mild autism who was thrown repeatedly against the walls of the school corridor.

The commissioner, Professor Al Aynsley-Green, will also publish proposals for improving the handling of bullying incidents in schools.

Shortly after his appointment last year, he said almost every child was affected by bullying and was growing up in a society that sees violence as "the norm."

He argued that, despite good work in schools, there was still denial about the "existence, severity and effect" of bullying.

(Source: BBC News Online, November 18, 2006)

Police investigate attack on boy with Asperger's syndrome, while fellow pupil filmed it on his mobile phone

MAGSHULL, UK: Police are investigating a sick “happy slap” attack on a 12-year-old boy with Asperger's syndrome at his school.

A teenage thug hit, kicked and stamped on defenceless Christopher Kingsbury while a pal filmed it on his mobile phone.

Other lads are heard cheering the savage onslaught in a changing room as one shouts: “Kick him again.” The vile video was circulated among gloating pupils.

Christopher, now 13, is in the same class as his tormentors at Dewes High School, Magshull, Merseyside.

His mother, Debbie, 40, who was shown the video by a friend, said: “We are horrified. We have no way of knowing how long this abuse has been going on. He is an easy target and kids have picked on him because he is so trusting. It’s sickening to think every kid in the area is having a laugh about it.”

Mother-of-two Debbie agreed not to press charges after police promised to send a liaison officer to talk to youngsters who took part.

Merseyside Police confirmed that an officer would visit the school.

A council spokesman said: “The safety of our children is of the highest priority and we take allegations of this nature extremely seriously. The school will work with police and the parents of those involved to find a resolution.”

(Source: The Sun, November 24, 2006)

are children suffering in our schools ???

By Jacqueline Head reported 16/09/06
BBC News

As the children's commissioner for England says the lack of adequate education for autistic children is "shocking and appalling", one mother describes her ordeal.

Ashley Cook
Ashley committed suicide in 2002

Joy Belson's son Ashley committed suicide when he was 18 after suffering a number of learning difficulties, including Asperger's, an autistic spectrum disorder.

Ashley felt he was "useless", despite being bright and passing his GCSEs when he was 12 years old.

Mrs Belson, 62, who now lives in Carrickmacross, Ireland, was living in Birmingham at the time. She believes the education system let her son down badly.

'Useless'

"Ashley was first expelled from school when he was about eight. We got him into a local school who worked very very hard with him, but eventually they felt that things were getting a little too disruptive," she said.

That was when he was 11, so Mrs Belson began looking for specialist schools for her son. Ashley also suffered from Tourette Syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Semantic Pragmatic Disorder.

"We were bandied about between lots of schools, but they were not suitable for the problems he had got - they were for children who were badly behaved.

Joy Belson
They could cater for his intelligence but not his level of disruption - they could never do both
Joy Belson

"We finally got him into a school in Chelmsley Wood. The headmaster there worked very very hard with him and he built up a good relationship with him. But when the Ofsted report came through the school was closed, and when it eventually re-opened the headmaster left.

"The new headmistress started taking in children bit by bit. Ashley was only there for a couple of weeks before they told us they couldn't teach him because of the problems he had.

"The fact he'd passed his GCSEs for maths when he was 12 meant nothing to them."

Mrs Belson was never able to find a school that was suitable for Ashley.

"They could cater for his intelligence but not his level of disruption, or they could cater for his disruptiveness but not for his intelligence - they could never do both."

"My son was a lovely boy, and I'm not just saying that because I'm his mother, but he was very intelligent, and the system let him down very very badly.

"He would say repeatedly 'I'm useless'."

Ashley never returned to school after he was 13. Mrs Belson believes that being rejected from school was one factor leading to his suicide.

"I feel passionate about this because I know where these kids can go," she said.