Thesis research

1. What is your child's school setting/environment?
Do you think your child has experienced bullying?
If yes, please give an example, cite and incident, or explain.
”His peers and older students taunt him at times. They know he is easily agitated and will give
them the reaction they are looking for. Usually kids outside his own class. Happens on
playground and after school activities. He has also experienced "exclusion.”
“Picked on in class by 3 kids he is sensitive and cried the teacher addressed as a class at the end he
was in awe at how many stuck up for him and their kind words.”
SURVEY: PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM Victoria Potente, Thesis !

2. Should parents of neurotypical children be educated
about autistic or special needs children?
Should neurotypical children be educated about
autistic or special needs children?
Do you feel that strangers recognize your child has
special needs?
”Parents should also be
accepting of special needs
children and be ready and
prepared to explain
difference to their children
in order to encourage
empathy and acceptance.”
“I feel like attention is
given sometimes to the
special needs that people
can "see" but the ones
that you cannot see easily
get forgotten.”
“Without singling anyone
out explain to children
that there are differences
that can be fun and
frustrating with asd kids.”
SURVEY: PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM Victoria Potente, Thesis !

3. Does it make you feel uncomfortable when people
react to your child's behavior?
Do you feel judged as a parent when people do not
recognize that your child has special needs?
How does lack of understanding affect you and your
child's participation in social settings and/or ability to
engage in social activities?
“I get nervous about sending him to friends houses because I don't
know who is sincere and who is just mean. There are so many stories
about ASD kids going to friends and deliberately being hurt. My son is
so excited to have friends that he misses sometimes the negative.”
“When your child has an
'invisible' disability, you are
judged for raising a "brat"
if/when a child has an
unexpected melt-down.
Many parents keep
informative business cards
with ASD facts to hand out
to strangers who feel the
need to interject on a child's
behavior. I have handed
them out myself several
times and always received
apologies after the fact.
Hopefully, the next time
people will think before
they judge.”
SURVEY: SURVEY: PARENTS PARENTS OF OF CHILDREN CHILDREN WITH WITH AUTISM AUTISM Victoria Potente, Thesis !

4. Do you believe more education and tolerance would result in more social
activities for your child?
Would having friends with parents of neurotypical children and making play-dates
between them and your autistic child enhance the lives of both children?
Would you engage in a program to create social experiences between your child
and a neurotypical child?
SURVEY: PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM Victoria Potente, Thesis !

5. If a program to bring children together was developed, how important would it be to consider:
- mutual interest;
- age range;
- that they attend
the same school;
- and location/distance?