Anna Kennedy OBE founder of a national autism charity Anna Kennedy Online has been contacted by parents where their loved ones are refusing to go to school/college because of bullying at such an early stage of this academic year.

Anna shared: “Schools /Colleges must take action so that autistic individuals feel safe in lessons and at break times. Autistic children and young people are seen by their parents and carers as vulnerable to bullying. ‘Give us a Break’ is Anna Kennedy online anti bullying campaign. She calls on all schools and colleges to be particularly aware of the bullying that autistic students experience at break times and to provide positive activities that keep them safe.

Many autistic students need ‘structured activities’ which are currently seriously lacking at break times. Many parents and carers said they would embrace positive activities as a constructive way of combating the bullying of their loved ones. For autistic children and young people, break and lunch times in schools and colleges can be particularly daunting and can put them at risk of bullying. Anna Kennedy Online the UK Charity is to continue raise awareness of bullying of autistic individuals in schools and colleges.”

Too often autistic people are seen as the problem; as not ‘fitting in’ or ‘settling down.’ We want to see all schools and colleges take decisive action to create environments and cultures where all neurodivergent individuals feel safe, accepted and supported without fear of bullying. Autistic children and adults should not be allowed to coast along without appropriate support until anxieties become so great that it leads to challenging behaviour both at home, school and college. Training, awareness, and acceptance is key”.

Our supporter Daniel Devlin shared: “We are all different and that makes us unique. Bullying is not nice because it hurts people’s feelings and if you are a bully, you won’t get anywhere”.

Our supporter Sarah Knowles shared: “About Bullying, I cannot stand Bullying of any type. I had some folks try to bully me in School, but I was able to stand up for myself or even on at least 2 occasions win them over by playing their favourite songs on the Guitar, It worked, They suddenly liked me and stopped Bullying me. It has been much more difficult as an Adult in various Workplaces because their style of Bullying is somehow more disguised or Subtle? Sometimes I haven’t even realised I was being Bullied until someone pointed it out, or if they become obvious?”.