Exploring Bullying with Adults with Autism and Asperger Syndrome : A Photocopiable Workbook

"Bullying is a serious and pervasive issue for people with autism and asperger syndrome. This photocopiable workbook encourages adults who have been involved with bullying - as either victims or perpetrators - to explore what bullying is, the effects it can have and how it can be tackled successfully. In this accessible and jargon-free book, with a wealth of case studies and summaries, readers are invited to consider the thoughts, feelings and actions associated with bullying and offered helpful strategies for dealing with it. The book comprises a general introduction to bullying, followed by sections that examine the issue from the perspectives of victim and perpetrator. This dual approach is designed to stamp out the problem at its source - the bully - rather than simply supporting the victim. It also recognises that while people on the spectrum are all too often bullied for being 'different', character traits such as difficulty with empathy mean they may unintentionally bully others. This practical book can be worked through independently or with any of the wide range of professionals involved in supporting an adult with autism or asperger syndrome and other learning disabilities, to reach a new level of understanding about bullying."--Publisher description Title ......Page 4 Contents......Page 8 A NOTE ABOUT LANGUAGE AND CONTENT ......Page 12 WHY THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN ......Page 13 HOW TO USE THIS BOOK ......Page 14 PART ONE: An Introduction to Bullying......Page 16 1 Your Experience of Bullying......Page 17 Different types of bullying......Page 20 Case Example: Mark......Page 26 Which places can bullying happen in?......Page 29 Which situations can bullying happen in?......Page 30 Case Example: Mark (continued) ......Page 32 4 Who can be a Bully?......Page 34 Case Example: Mark (continued) ......Page 36 Things that may make you more vulnerable to bullying......Page 39 Things that can help to protect you from bullying......Page 40 Case Example: Ruth......Page 41 A note on being different......Page 43 Characteristics of ASD that bullies might pick on......Page 45 Characteristics of ASD that you can be proud of......Page 47 PART TWO: An Introduction to Feelings, Thoughts and Behaviours......Page 60 What are feelings?......Page 61 Emotional feelings......Page 62 Are thoughts facts?......Page 70 Unhelpful thoughts and thinking patterns......Page 71 Responsibility......Page 77 Thinking about different types of behaviour......Page 79 Finding new and helpful behaviours to replace unhelpful behaviours......Page 82 Passive, assertive and aggressive behaviour......Page 87 Case Example: Janine......Page 89 What has assertiveness got to do with bullying?......Page 92 Why might passive people be more vulnerable to bullying?......Page 93 How to be more assertive......Page 94 Tracing a thought in pictures: ‘I can’t cope’......Page 98 Changing feelings, thoughts and behaviour......Page 102 PART THREE: For Those who are Being Bullied......Page 104 What physical feelings might I have if I am being bullied?......Page 105 What emotional feelings might I have if I am being bullied?......Page 109 Worksheet: What can I do if I have difficult feelings?......Page 112 What thoughts might I have if I am being bullied?......Page 117 Worksheet: What can I do if I have difficult or upsetting thoughts?......Page 118 Thoughts about hurting yourself or committing suicide......Page 120 Unhelpful behaviours......Page 122 Case Example: Sarah......Page 123 Case Example: Howard......Page 125 Case Example: Terri......Page 127 Helpful behaviours to cope with bullying......Page 129 How can you tell when you are not being bullied but feel like you are?......Page 132 An exercise to help tell the difference......Page 136 The effects of being bullied......Page 142 Why it is important to tell others about bullying......Page 143 Legal protection......Page 144 Dealing with all types of bullying......Page 147 Practical ways to deal with bullying......Page 148 18 My Plan to Stay Positive......Page 164 19 When Things Go Well......Page 167 The last resort......Page 169 PART FOUR: For Those who are Bullying Others ......Page 174 Characteristics of ASD that might make you more vulnerable to becoming a bully......Page 175 What feelings might I have before I bully others?......Page 197 What feelings might I have when I am bullying others?......Page 207 What feelings might I have after bullying others?......Page 214 Worksheet: What can I do with feelings that are upsetting or make me more likely to bully?......Page 222 Using alcohol, drugs or medication to cope with difficult feelings......Page 225 Feeling suicidal......Page 226 What thoughts might I have when bullying somebody else?......Page 227 Worksheet: What can I do if I have difficult or upsetting thoughts?......Page 229 Physical bullying......Page 234 Emotional bullying......Page 235 Financial bullying......Page 236 Sexual bullying......Page 237 Cyberbullying......Page 238 Why some people with ASD might be vulnerable to bullying others......Page 239 The effects of bullying others......Page 241 Your rights and the rights of other people......Page 242 A note for those who have been chosen by a person with ASD as someone they trust to disclose about being a bully or bullying others......Page 243 Why might it be difficult to stop bullying others?......Page 247 Being able to admit that what you are doing is bullying......Page 248 Understanding your bullying behaviour in more detail......Page 249 How to tell somebody you are bullying others......Page 251 Apologising to people you have bullied......Page 254 Practical ways to help you stop bullying others......Page 255 Helpful behaviours to stop bullying others......Page 256 27 My Plan to Stay Positive......Page 269 28 When Things Go Well......Page 272 The last resort......Page 274 Asking for professional help......Page 278 PART FIVE: Additional Information......Page 280 Dan’s story......Page 281 Recording other people’s stories......Page 282 31 Information for Family Members, Carers, Employers, Tutors or Others who Work with Individuals with ASD......Page 284 Information about ASD......Page 285 How to recognise bullying......Page 288 Managing disclosures of bullying......Page 301 Visual approaches......Page 305 How to best support those who are experiencing bullying......Page 306 Bullying contacts and resources......Page 307 Contacts and resources related to Autism or Asperger Syndrome......Page 308 Contacts and resources offering confidential emotional support on all issues......Page 309 Other useful contacts and resources......Page 310 REFERENCES ......Page 311 INDEX ......Page 312 This photocopiable workbook encourages adults who have been involved with bullying - as either victims or perpetrators - to explore what bullying is, its effects, and how to tackle it successfully. Readers are invited to consider the thoughts, feelings and actions associated with bullying and offered helpful strategies for dealing with it.