Kids with both Autism & ADHD Often bully

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Registered: 03-28-2003
Kids with both Autism & ADHD Often bully
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Fri, 08-03-2007 - 12:58am

Date: May 18, 2007
Children With Both Autism And ADHD Often Bully, Parents Say: Researchers Caution Against Labeling
Science Daily — Children with both autism and attention deficit or attention deficit hyperactivity disorders are four times more likely to bully than children in the general population, according to a study released today in the journal, Ambulatory Pediatrics. However, the researchers caution against labeling these children simply as bullies.

"This is the first nationally representative study of bullying behaviors among children with autism. The majority of parents of children with autism and ADD or ADHD were concerned about their children's bullying behaviors, but there is much we do not yet understand. It is too early to label these children as bullies." said Guillermo Montes, Ph.D., senior researcher at Rochester, N.Y.-based Children's Institute. "These children may have pent up energy that needs to be properly channeled, or they may have other underlying behavioral or medical issues that have not been addressed."

The study pulled data from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. The sample included 53,219 children ages 6 to 17. The researchers were interested in finding out whether children with autism were more likely to bully other children. They hypothesized that that children with autism may bully more often because they are more often male (who are more likely to bully); they are more likely to be bullied (and victims are more likely to bully); and many children with autism require treatment for aggression (which potentially includes bullying).

But the researchers did not find that children with autism had a higher rate of bullying -- unless they also had ADD or ADHD. Those with both disorders showed a rate four times higher than children with just autism and with children overall. They also had a higher rate of bullying than children with ADD or ADHD but no autism. This poses an important opportunity for health care providers who see children with autism and ADD or ADHD, which occurs in about half of children with autism spectrum disorders.

"It would be helpful for clinicians to be aware that so many parents of children with both autism and ADHD are describing bullying behaviors," said Jill Halterman, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center and second author of the paper. "These children may benefit from additional support services, such as from a behavioral or mental health specialist, depending on the severity of symptoms. These services may be available through community based organizations or from the broader health care system."

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of Rochester Medical Center.

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I was thinking one more aspect of learning bullying behavior they didn't seem to consider was that this type of behavior in children could cause a more aggressive parenting style. I mean, a child who has little impulse control or behaves fearlessly may not just get "please" the first time so the parent MAY have to resort to more aggressive behaviror themselves...which could lead to the child modeling that aggressive behavior.

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Registered: 06-25-2003
Fri, 08-03-2007 - 8:50am

LR,


This is also very interesting.

-Paula

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Registered: 04-28-2007
Fri, 08-03-2007 - 9:10am

Well Liam is comorbid asd/adhd and add in the mood disorder for giggles (although the latter appears stable yea). Now we still have adhd/asd, and Liam is a big boy (looks 9, wears size 10 clothes). However when he wa slittle he appeared to be a bully (think preschool) as he gets older he unfortunately has become the focus of bulying in the playground. Called names like "freak" "loser." It's heartbreaking to hear him use these words about himself, and to hear where he learned them.

As we have more inclusion this year I will be curious to see how his behavior develops.

Dee

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Registered: 03-28-2003
Fri, 08-03-2007 - 1:27pm

delete




Edited 2/19/2008 1:25 pm ET by littleroses
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Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 08-03-2007 - 8:54pm

This is an interesting article/discussion.

Sam came off as a bully his preK years too. He is a very outgoing kid and can be rigid when he wants what he wants and is also dx'd ADHD so impulsivity was nil in prek.

In preK most of his aggressive/bullying behavior stemmed from poor impulse control. Sometimes that was paired with poor social skills too but often just no ability to keep his hands to himself (and a need for deep pressure didn't help either.)

Sam generally sticks to quirkier NT kids at school and is an easy target for the playground bullies. He's thankfully learned to avoid them and their game of trying to get him in trouble by fighting....etc.

If Sam is acting bully-ish it's usually with his little bro and usually because he's being rigid about something and just wants his way and can't find a way out of the situation. Harrison is a tough customer though and I feel for Sam. I'm glad that there's alot of typical sibling interactions going on around here though! LOL

I think LR's comment on assertive parenting is interesting. I do notice that response sometimes with both my kids. Maybe Sam is asssociating assertive parenting with getting what I want and so when he isnt' getting what he wants he becomes more assertive (oftne inappropriately) to get it. It's an interesting idea. And why I find it so hard sometimes to discipline without it backfiring on me somehow.

Chrystee

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Sat, 08-04-2007 - 12:35am

Well you all know my dd is 20. And she was dx-d with Borderline Personality Disorder, which now I think was wrong. She was 5 at the time. EXTREMELY hyper. Since she was born in fact.

Had/has some OCD, Sensory issue's and Gross Motor skill problems. I and the Doc's didn't see these things at the time. I understand it now because she's an adult and can tell me about them.

The only reason they didn't give her a dx of ADHD was because she could still do well in school and focus. They said borderline ADHD. It was just all behavior problems to them....

She had rages, but she never attacked me. These rages started at the age of 3. They always blamed it on my ex, who was a drug addict and would be in and out of her life, so they thought she had a problem with attachments with him.

She had (still has, but much better now) a VERY VERY strong personality, in fact that strong personality helped her to stand up to the gangs here in town. She never got into a fight, because I always taught her to use her words and not hit (which was a big problem as a child). I did tell her thou if she couldn't get out of it with words (she was to try her best) but if they backed her into a corner, then start swinging and hit like hell to protect herself. Luckily it came close a few times, but the fights never happened because she was strong with her words and on her toes.

Anyway growing up as a young child, She was a very forceful person, had problems with working out social problems, big problems with impulsivity, with hyperness, she used to bolt.... ect. She couldn't even hold her own cup of hot chocolate when she was 5. She was too hyper. She had extreme seperation anxiety, she couldn't stop touching other people....But she always had a heart of gold. Still does :)

She was also pretty much a bully. BUT we started play therapy when she was 5 and dx-d with the BPD. It took many years with this therapy to re-direct this agression. It really really helped tho. She started doing really well around 9 when we ceased the therapy. We had a rocky road during the teens years with drugs, sneaking out ect, but she turned out to be a great kid who stopped doing drugs at the age of 16 period.

I have talked and talked to her about the possible mis-dx, and slowely she listens to me about it. I think she is going to look into more therapy. I really hope the therapist looks into the history with her and her brothers dx. One with ASD and the other with Tourettes and ASD (Mild ASD I think for my younger one).

I don't wanna come out and say Hey Girl, I think you might be a tad bit Autistic, but I want her to look into helping herself.

Well See what happens, but I thought this article was very interesting to read, because it sounded like my DD when she was little.

Thanks LR :)

Lainie