Orbaker1

AbriannaOrbaker
Mrs.Stegner
ERWC
22February2016

HelpingTheHelpless

SpecialNeedschildrenwhohaveexperiencedbullying,havebeenverbally50%,physical
12%,andmanySpecialNeedskidshaveexperiencedbothatahigh38%(eparent).Special
Needsbullyingstillstandsinoursocietytoday.Thekidswhoaretargetedalottendtobe
DownsSyndromeandAutism.Frompersonexperience,mybrotherhasexperiencedbullying
duetphimbeingSpecialNeedsaswell.Hopefully,withmoreawarenesstothissituation,the
amountofbullyingwillgodownforSpecialNeedskids.
50%ofparentsreportedthattheirspecialneedschildhasbeenbulliedatleastonceon
thewaytoschooloratschool,andalmost80%ofparentsofchildrenwithspecialneeds,suchas
autismspectrumdisorderandDownsyndrome,worrythattheirchildwillexperiencebullyingat
somepoint(eparent).Kidswhoarementallyslower,areaneasytargetforotherkids.Theyare
easytopickonbecausetheycantdomuchtofightback.DownsSyndromesarealmostalltoo
nice,whichmeans,eveniftheythinkyourepickingonthemorbeingmean,thereisabig
chancetheywontfightback,eveniftheycan.Tohelpraiseawarenessofbullying,therewasa
pledgewallthatwastouredaroundMiddletonandRochdalescollegecampusessoeveryoneon


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campuscanmakeapledgeaboutbullyingnotbeingacceptable(EuropeanUnionNews).Even
smallstepsintherightdirectionofbullyingcandoeverybitofhelp.Especiallytothosewith
DownsSyndrome,orthosewhodonthavethepowertpfightback.Mybrother,withDowns
Syndrome,gotphysicallyandmentallybulliedatschool,butstillcamehomewithasmileonhis
face(Orbaker).DependingonthetypeofchildyourDownsSyndromeis,itcaneitheraffect
theirmentalhealthandwillshowthroughtheirschoolwork.Others,likemybrother,putupwith
itcompletelyfineanddonotcomplainatallaboutit,eveniftheyarebeingtorturedatschool
everyday.
Autisticsarealsoknowntogetbulliedbecauseoftheirobviouswaysofbeingdifferent.
ButAutisticsandDownsSyndromesarecompletelydifferentSpecialNeedsandhandle
bullyingdifferent,too.ASDmakesitverydifficultforchildrenandteenstomanagetheir
feelingswhentheyreangry,upset,ormeltingdown(Verdick&Reeve)Autisticsareknownto
nothandletheirangeraswellbecausetheystressoutanfalsooverthinkeverything.Sowhen
Autisticsgetbullied,theyusuallydonthandleitaswellasDownsSyndromesdo.Autistics
sometimeseverycryorpaniciftheygetpickedonorbullied.IfachildhasASD,ordinarykids
willrealizedthattheyaredifferentfromeverybodyelse.Buttheordinarykidmaynotknowwhy
theyaredifferent.EspeciallyifthekishasseentheASDthroughanepisode,thechildwillsee
youasreallydifferentandmaynotlikeit(Verdick&Reeve).Ifakidwhohasbeenuneducated
abouttheASDchild,hecanbeharshtowardshim.Itwouldbeaneasytargetbecausetheyare
physicallyweaker,andareeasytopickon.


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AnyonewhohasexperiencedbullyingtowardaSpecialNeedchildthattheylove,know
thaithasahugeeffectonboththechildgettingbullied,andthefriendsandfamilyaroundthem.
ThedaymyfamilyandIfoundoutaboutmy9yearoldDownsSyndromebrotherwasgetting
punchedandkickedatschool,wedidnotknowwhattodo(Orbaker).Wewereshockedbecause
wedidnotthinkanyoneintheirrightmindwouldbullyTyler.Heisoneofthesweetestkidsthat
youcouldevermeet.
Childrenwithdisabilitiessuchasphysical,developmental,intellectual,
emotional,andsensorydisabilitiesareatanincreasedriskofbeingbullied(stopbullying).
Whatdidnothituswasthatnfact,everychildhasariskofbeingbullied.Whetheryouhave
specialneedsornot.ThefactthattherearekidsthatareuneducatedaboutSpecialNeedskids,
andhowtheyaredifferentshouldbepublicizedinschools.
Wehaveseenmultipletimesofthe
bullyhitting,punchingandkickingTyler.OnetimeweevensawthebullypushTyleroffofthe
swinganddragTylerbyhisfeetthroughthewoodchips(Orbaker).Finally,therewasenough
evidenceagainstthebullytogethihmkickedoutoftheschool.Eversincethen.mybrotherhas
beenashappyaseverandhasntbeenbulliedsince.
Inconclusion,thereisaseriousproblemwithSpecialNeedchildrenbeing
bullied.WithbiggerkidsmakingJokes,rumorsornamecallingbaseduponanindividuals
physicalormentaldisability(Stuart)kidswithDownSyndromeandAutismarebeingmentally
andphysicallyhurt.Thisalsoincludeskidslikemybrother,whohasDownSyndrome.
Hopefullywithallthisawareness,specialneedbullyingwillgodownandtherewillbeabrighter
futureforkidslikemybrother.


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WorksCited
"50%ofChildrenwithSpecialNeedsAreBulliedatSchool."
Galegroup
.TheExceptional
Parent,Sept.2015.Web.
"BullyingandYouthwithDisabilitiesandSpecialHealthNeeds."
StopBullying
.N.p.,n.d.Web
Orbaker,Abrianna."DoubleTrouble."Personalinterview.16Feb.2016.
Stuart,Melissa."5TipsForWhenYourChildWithSpecialNeedsIsBullied."
FriendshipCircle
SpecialNeedsBlog
.FriendshipCircle,13Nov.2012.Web.05Feb.2016.
"StudentsSayNotoBullying."
StopBullying
.EuropeanUnionNews,20Jan.2016.Web
Verdick,Elizabeth,ElizabethReeve,andNickKobyluch.
TheSurvivalGuideforKidswith
AutismSpectrumDisorders(andTheirParents)
.Minneapolis,MN:FreeSpiritPub.,
2012.Print..