Patti's Blog - Advocate for Elders, People with Disabilities and Their Families

Comment on National prevalence rates of bully victimization among students with disabilities in the United States

Excerpt from: Left Brain Right Brain (click for full article)

 

Bullying is a major issue. This is especially true among the disabled. A recent study focused on bullying within the school aged autistic population, and I discussed that at the Autism Science Foundation blog. Another study has just come out recently in School Psychology Quarterly, National prevalence rates of bully victimization among students with disabilities in the United States.

Students with disabilities are victims of bullying as much as 1.5 times more often than their non-disabled peers. The authors also found Elementary and middle school students with autism and high school students with orthopedic impairments were at the greatest risk of experiencing repeated victimization.

The fact that the disabled are victims of bullying at a high rate is not surprising. The fact that this includes autistics is not surprising. It is valuable, though, to get this documented. It does beg the question of what will happen to change this?

Bullied autistic children bear emotional burden

Excerpt from: The British Pyschological Society (click for full article)

 

Autistic children who are the subject of bullying could face short-term emotional consequences, new research has shown. Published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the study showed almost 70 per cent of kids with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) go through emotional trauma after being victimised in this way.

Researchers from the Interactive Autism Network, a project of the Kennedy Krieger Institute,  looked at information provided by parents of 1,221 children with ASD, which was gathered via an online questionnaire.   

According to the findings, many of these young people harboured concerns for their safety at school after being targeted by bullies.

Dr Paul Law, Director of the Interactive Autism Network at Kennedy Krieger, said: "Not only are these children being bullied more, but they are also experiencing significant short-term and likely long-term effects of being bullied."

It was noted that some of the effects of this victimisation can last well into a person's adult years, with risk of psychiatric illness increasing as a result.

Allergies, extra weight tied to bullying

Excerpt from: The Oakland Press (click for full article)

 

Kids who have food allergies or are overweight may be especially likely to get bullied by their peers, two new studies suggest.

Not surprisingly, researchers also found targets of bullying were more distressed and anxious and had a worse quality of life, in general, than those who weren’t picked on.

Bullying has become a concern among parents, doctors and school administrators since research and news stories emerged linking bullying - including online “cyberbullying” - with depression and even suicide.

“There has been a shift and people are more and more recognizing that bullying has real consequences, it’s not just something to be making jokes about,” said Dr. Mark Schuster, chief of general pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School, who wrote a commentary published with the new research.

Chris Rickert: Disabled man's murder delivers message for all

Excerpt from: Wisconsin State Journal (click for full article)

 

The 27-year-old from Mazomanie was found buried in a makeshift grave last week, allegedly tortured and murdered four months earlier by the half-brother he idolized. Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney said it was one of the most tragic cases he’s seen in 33 years.

Matthew Graville, who had a mild form of autism called Asperger’s syndrome, was “loving” and “kind,” his mother, Vicki Graville, said, but also “gullible.

“His main problems were making choices, making bad decisions,” she told me.

It is impossible not to be affected by the mental picture she painted of Graville as a grade-school student taking his coat off in the winter so other children could pelt him with ice and snowballs. He liked the attention, she said.

Worse, his classmates liked to give it to him.

Graville’s death is a reminder of how hard it can be for the disabled to find safe harbor among us so-called “normal” folks. But hopefully, it can also serve as a reminder of how rewarding it can be to provide it.

The 27-year-old from Mazomanie was found buried in a makeshift grave last week, allegedly tortured and murdered four months earlier by the half-brother he idolized. Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney said it was one of the most tragic cases he’s seen in 33 years.

Matthew Graville, who had a mild form of autism called Asperger’s syndrome, was “loving” and “kind,” his mother, Vicki Graville, said, but also “gullible.

“His main problems were making choices, making bad decisions,” she told me.

It is impossible not to be affected by the mental picture she painted of Graville as a grade-school student taking his coat off in the winter so other children could pelt him with ice and snowballs. He liked the attention, she said.

Worse, his classmates liked to give it to him.

Graville’s death is a reminder of how hard it can be for the disabled to find safe harbor among us so-called “normal” folks. But hopefully, it can also serve as a reminder of how rewarding it can be to provide it.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/chris_rickert/chris-rickert-disabled-man-s-murder-delivers-message-for-all/article_5b05768e-2b54-11e2-9c9b-001a4bcf887a.html#ixzz2CnQJR1Cz

The 27-year-old from Mazomanie was found buried in a makeshift grave last week, allegedly tortured and murdered four months earlier by the half-brother he idolized. Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney said it was one of the most tragic cases he’s seen in 33 years.

Matthew Graville, who had a mild form of autism called Asperger’s syndrome, was “loving” and “kind,” his mother, Vicki Graville, said, but also “gullible.

“His main problems were making choices, making bad decisions,” she told me.

It is impossible not to be affected by the mental picture she painted of Graville as a grade-school student taking his coat off in the winter so other children could pelt him with ice and snowballs. He liked the attention, she said.

Worse, his classmates liked to give it to him.

Graville’s death is a reminder of how hard it can be for the disabled to find safe harbor among us so-called “normal” folks. But hopefully, it can also serve as a reminder of how rewarding it can be to provide it.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/chris_rickert/chris-rickert-disabled-man-s-murder-delivers-message-for-all/article_5b05768e-2b54-11e2-9c9b-001a4bcf887a.html#ixzz2CnQJR1Cz

Disability Round-Up

Excerpt from: About.com (click for more information)

 

As Hurricane Sandy approaches the east cost, our thoughts turn toward the multitudes of people who will be facing this disaster. This week, Charlotte Gerber shares the importance of disaster preparation for individuals with disabilities and provides several excellent disaster preparation resources. Also check out her article on preparing for the "Frankenstorm." Turning to the rest of the country, Terri Mauro shares ideas for sensory friendly Halloween costumes, Halloween games, bouncing cats, and more fun things to do. Explore the differences between ADD and ADHD in this helpful overview from Keath Low. Also, October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, and Dr. Vincent Iannelli offers tips to and recognize, deal with, and prevent bullying.

COPAA Files Brief in Long v. Murray : School Shows Deliberate Indifference; Fails to Implement Effective

Summary of Main Points from: COPAA.org (click for full brief)

 

COPAA filed a brief on September 28, 2012 in support of appellants and reversal of the trial court in the case of Long v. Murray County , 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, on appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia – Rome Division. The case is represented by Jon Zimring, COPAA Board member. 

Tyler Long was an eleventh grade student at Murray County High School when he committed suicide. Tyler was previously diagnosed with Asperser’s syndrome. Manifestations of his disability caused Tyler to be subjected to repeated, intense bullying at the hands of his classmates, resulting in tragic consequences.  The trial court rejected summary judgment on four of the five elements of the Longs’ disability discrimination claims against the school under Section 504, 29 U.S.C. § 794, and Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §  12132. The trial court concluded that “[t]here is little question that Tyler was the victim of severe disability harassment, and that the Defendants should have done more to stop the harassment and prevent future incidents.”  The trial court improperly found, however, that there was insufficient evidence with respect to the last element of these claims–deliberate indifference.

COPAA’s brief  asserts that the trial court improperly dismissed the Longs’ expert testimony as being insufficient, under any interpretation, to show the Defendants’ actions constituted deliberate indifference and makes the following points:

1) The deliberate indifference standard is met when a school is knowingly ineffective in preventing sustained disability discrimination,

2) The deliberate indifference standard requires an assessment of the totality of circumstances including prevailing methods known to be effective in combating bullying of students with disabilities,

3) A written Individualized Education Program is not an adequate mechanism to prevent disability discrimination, and,

4) Schools should be held accountable for failing to implement known strategies that effectively respond to disability discrimination.

Many thanks to pro bono counsel from Baker and McKenzie, LLP for writing the brief.  COPAA Amicus Committee members Selene Almazan  and Catherine Merino Reisman assisted in the review of drafts.

Bullying Students with Disabilities: How to Fight Back

From Disaboom: (click for full article)

Born with a mild-to-moderate case of cerebral palsy, Tony Bartoli encountered a lot of bullying while in school. As an adult, Bartoli wanted to change how kids with differences, including disabities, get treated at school, so in 2004 he started traveling across the country to help raise awareness about the seriousness of bullying.

Bullies prey on individuals with differences, making students with disabilities especially vulnerable to bullies. In his travels, Bartoli has encountered many students with disabilities who have been bullied, including students with Down syndrome, autism, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy.

Bullying will continue to be a problem until people talk about the issue. Bartoli explains part of the problem involves “not knowing how deeply it (bullying) affects others.” 

Judge: School Not to Blame for Bullied Boy's Suicide

From NBC DFW: (click for full article)

U.S. District Court Judge Ron Clark has sided with the Lewisville Independent School District in a lawsuit that alleges the district was partially responsible for a young boy's suicide under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The family of Montana Lance filed a lawsuit against the Lewisville school district after the 9-year-old hanged himself in the nurse's office at The Colony's Stewarts Creek Elementary School in 2010. The family accused officials of ignoring warning signs of bullying that led to the child's suicide and said he was discriminated against because of his disabilities.

According to the lawsuit, Lance had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, emotional disturbance and a speech impairment.

Magistrate Judge Amos Mazzant found no evidence that the district ignored bullying based on the boy's disability. Rather, he found that the district’s response to all bullying was inadequate and that Lance was treated no differently than any other child who had been bullied.

5 Ways to Help Your Child Prevent Bullying this School Year

From Homeroom: (click for full article)

As children head back to the classroom, now is a great time for parents and guardians to talk with your kids about bullying. Here are five tips to help your child prevent bullying and to help them deal with bullying.

Bullied Gay Student Files Suit Against Indianapolis Public Schools

From Advocate.com: (click for full article)

A gay high school student who was expelled after using a stun gun to fend off bullies has filed a federal lawsuit against Indianapolis Public Schools.

WIBC reports on the suit filed by Darnell “Dynasty” Young, 17, and his mother, Chelsea Grimes. The family says they reported the harassment several times to officials at Arsenal Technical High School, but administrators blamed Young for being “too flamboyant.”

“The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis Friday accuses IPS of violating Young's civil rights and also of violating his First Amendment right to free expression for trying to get him to dress differently at school,” reports the station.

Young fired the stun gun in April after six students threatened him, he said. His mother gave him the device. No students have been punished for the bullying because school officials say Young could not identify the culprits.