October is National Bullying Prevention Month
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RALEIGH — The Autism Society of North Carolina is proud to present a new toolkit for parents, teachers, and others to use to combat bullying in schools.
The new bullying toolkit is an easy-to-use, accessible guide to teach parents and professionals about the signs of bullying, ways to prevent bullying, and how to stop it. It provides an overview of anti-bullying programs that have been proven effective for schools and a detailed list of resources. The toolkit can be read online, downloaded, and printed here: http://bit.ly/ASNCSchoolIssues
October is recognized as National Bullying Prevention Month, but the Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC) works year-round to ensure that students with autism have a safe learning environment in which they are treated as valued members of the school community. Children with disabilities are bullied at far greater rates than their nondisabled peers. Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have characteristics that make them especially susceptible, including age-inappropriate interests, clumsiness, or inflexibility when it comes to rules.
The Autism Society of North Carolina offers other resources for families who might be dealing with bullying:
- Autism Resource Specialists provide support for families who are addressing challenges such as bullying and can also give presentations in schools about understanding those with autism.
- The ASNC blog is a constant source of information; a recent post by D.J. Svoboda, an artist and motivational speaker who lives in Cary, addressed bullying. (http://autismsocietyofnc.
wordpress.com/) - The Safe in the Community section of the website addresses wandering as well as other safety concerns.
Background:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. Recent studies estimate that up to 1 of every 58 children born in North Carolina will be affected by ASD.
- For more than 44 years, the Autism Society of North Carolina has worked to address areas of need and expand services for the autism community in North Carolina. ASNC works to directly improve the lives of individuals affected by autism by providing advocacy, education, and services.
- For more information, call 1-800-442-2762 or visit www.autismsociety-nc.org.
