Bullying is an issue for all adolescents and teens, but none more so than those on the autism spectrum who often experience abusive and antagonistic behavior from peers nearly half of the time. That’s about twice as often as bullying experienced by average adolescents, according to the National Bullying Prevention Center.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) typically include difficulty recognizing social cues and processing behavior generally understood by peers. These individuals may also act or react in ways that are not considered typical for their age group, opening them to taunts for being different. Not only do these factors allow a bully multiple opportunities to intimidate or tease a classmate but the social challenges mean the student with autism has a more difficult time addressing the problem by approaching adults and seeking help.

A Significant Issue With Many Roots

As one young woman writes, “One of my biggest weaknesses is in theory of mind. I fully believe what people are telling me is what they believe and their actions will be reflective of their words. When this does not happen, there is incongruence and this event is very confusing to me. I don’t understand how someone could say they care about me, yet their selfish actions hurt me. I will become physically uncomfortable if someone does something against his or her word. However, I do believe the best in people so I give more chances than I should to people.”

Read the full article at Autism Parenting Magazine here.