mean kids suck

[coaster05]

^Hence why I get skeptical about the bullying. Again I do not want the orginal poster to be upset and I promise I am not making light of her situation. If her son is getting bullied to that point then something needs to be done. At the younger age level they get mad really fast and forgive even faster. I have a student who twice a week says "can you get him he is picking on me". the other three days they sit next to each other in class. Some years I finally have to tell them to fight it out or never tattle again those are your only two choices.

[moinab]

I guess I shouldn't have used the term "bully." Now that I see the responses and think about it, it's not appropriate in this situation.

 

My husband and I are both very active in my son's class, and see first hand a lot of what is going on. Some of the other kids are definitely taunting him and singling him out, related to his occasionally odd behavior. We work closely with his teacher, but there's only so much you can do. As some of you have said, kids will be kids, and school kids will be mean, especially to a child who stands out, due to odd behavior.

 

We did wonder if he was talking too much to the other kids about going to WDW, but his teacher insists that he doesn't. She said that he writes and tells stories about Mickey and Chip and Dale a lot, within his classwork. He has expressive language delays, so he experiences anxiety with storytelling. Thus, he tends to stick to topics he is comfortable with.

 

By the way, this wasn't a tattling situation. He was upset for days, but wouldn't say anything. I had to drag it out of him, and he wouldn't identify who said it. He was just very sad.

 

Wes, perhaps I am over-analyzing the situation, but the Asperger's is what makes us, as parents, a bit more sensitive. These kids do tend to get teased and bullied throughout their school years, a lot more than the average child, because they stick out like sore thumbs, socially, with their quirks. Also, because of their social deficits, they tend to be less able to respond appropriately, which exacerbates the problem. Since he has so much difficulty with social cues, we have to try to figure out where the problems are, so we can try to teach him how to act appropriately.

 

I just find it sad that, even at this young age, children will isolate and cut down others who don't fit in. That was the whole thing that surprised me. I was expecting to have to deal with this in a year or two, but not in first grade.

[RIP Psyclone]

You know what will fix everything? A trip to WDW!

[Chris Benvenuto]

I talked to Maureen (moinab) in private about this and just clear things out and my perspectives of this whole problem. But Wes, you gotta see it from an aspie's POV I bet when you were a kid you made fun of same kids. Don't deny it, it happens to all of us and retarded should be only used by autistic people. Not the general populace.

 

When I saw Wes respond I just thought "Oy! do they ever understand Autism?"

 

Sorry Wes, I just felt obliged to call you out, no offense man.

[Wes]

^ Contrary to what you were assuming, one of my childhood friends had a brother with full blown autism, I had classes with kids with various problems, etc. So, yes, I understand autism pretty well, and I never made fun of them or teased them. Not to say teasing didn't exist, but it wasn't coming from me.

 

Maureen, my criticism of over analyzation wasn't directed at you, more at the replies that were trying to delve deep into the mindset of these kids when, to me at least, the actions were very explainable knowing the age and maturity level of these kids.

[moinab]

Ok, I see what you're saying now. Thanks.

[KrakenKing]

I know this probably isn't what your looking for...

 

But bullying and taunting is all part of growing up. It happens to every kid. If you go to a classroom and sit down, I bet every kid gets teased throughout the day.

 

Just let it happen, your child will learn defense mechanisms and out smart them or just ignore them. You're not gonna be with them throughout every step of their life. Better to learn this kind of behavior early.

[moinab]

^Ummm, did you actually read any of my posts? Did you just miss the part about Asperger syndrome, and how he has social deficits and can't just "learn defense mechanisms and outsmart them or just ignore them" on his own?

 

But maybe you're right - I won't always be there with him, and after all, he is 7 years old, already. Time to kick him to the curb.

 

Are we ever, as a society, going to eliminate teasing and bullying? Of course not, but I would prefer to encourage kids to develop tolerance and acceptance, rather than just blowing off hateful behavior as "that's just the way it is.

 

 

Talk to me again, someday, when you're the parent of an autistic child.

[ebl]

"Time to kick him to the curb." (moinab)

 

Yeah! Let the street cleaner get him...

 

My sister is the single mother of a 13-year-old autistic son. She does indeed have her work cut out for her---and for that, I have to give her a lot of credit for working with him. I don't know if Michael is subjected to any teasing at school, though---Barbara hasn't said. But I think he's in special classes, so he's somewhat shielded from that.

 

I was lucky that we were taught to be considerate to others when we were growing up, and we've continued that tradition with Diana.

 

Eric

[speedracer]

Are we ever, as a society, going to eliminate teasing and bullying? Of course not, but I would prefer to encourage kids to develop tolerance and acceptance, rather than just blowing off hateful behavior as "that's just the way it is.

 

I was lucky that we were taught to be considerate to others when we were growing up, and we've continued that tradition with Diana.

 

In order for kids to develop tolerance and acceptance, as Eric pointed out, it all begins at home. Kids learn by example, as long as there are hateful ignorant bullies in charge of raising children, there will unfortunately always be hateful ignorant children.

 

No ones saying to kick him to the curb, but as you well know, bottom line is many parents just don't give a crap how their kids behave. So unless you can change that mentality from the root cause for every bully in the world, your only option is to arm him with the best defense possible, knowledge and awareness of how to deal with bullies.

[Ccron10]

Bullying is the fact of life. There's always someone picking on the minority and if everyone was the same, then this wouldn't happen.

 

Ever since I was in kindergarten I've been picked on. I've never gotten involved in a fight and never received any in-school punishment. Lately, all those years of being patient and smart paid off and now people are starting to respect me as a normal person, but I do still get picked on but it's only from the kids with no brains at all. I just ignore them.

 

If this doesn't stop, I'd talk to your school's principal if I were you, so your son, and the kids picking on him would be able to settle this in the safest way possible. Trust me, this will work. It 99% of the time does.