A Letter from Haley

Special thanks to 13-year-old Haley for sharing her amazing insights! Dear PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, My name is Haley. I am 13 years old and in the 8th grade. I would like to share with you a very important issue that kids with special needs all over America are facing, bullying. A recent study states that out of 1,167 children with ASD (Autism), 63% of them have said they have been bullied at one time in their life. This is a large percent, and it should never be this high. Students with disabilities are much more likely to be bullied than their non-disabled classmates. I write to you (The National Bullying Prevention Center) today asking for your assistance to end bullying for kids with special needs. I believe that if the bystanders in these situations took a stand, and intervened, the percentage of children being bullied would be cut in half. First, I need your help to make people aware of the issues and problems kids with special needs face daily, the challenges they take on for just simple things like doing school work or interacting in a conversations with peers. Then, we need to address students. They need to know that they can make the change. They can stop bullying (not just for kids with special needs, but bullying in general too!). If students are aware of the bullying that kids with special needs face, they would be encouraged to stand up for them. Lastly, the teachers need to be educated on how to deal with these kinds of problems. Sometimes, teachers try to keep their eyes open to bullying/harassment, but other times they are not aware. Teachers should learn how to handle bullying situations like this, so they can contribute to putting a stop to it. Kids with special needs deserve to have a voice. Teachers, students, and the general public can all help them have a voice by spreading the awareness of special needs bullying. Thank you for your time! Sincerely, Haley