Abstract
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for bullying victimization. School refusal is a ‘red flag’ for identification of bullying in children with ASD and/or ADHD. This study examined the impact of diagnoses, demographics, and school variables on school refusal due to bullying. Participants were 97 parents of 154 children with ASD, ADHD, ASD + ADHD, other diagnoses, or no diagnosis. Children with ASD + ADHD were most likely to refuse school due to bullying. Classroom aides and behavior problems were protective and risk factors, respectively. In the final regression model, child diagnosis no longer predicted school refusal. School refusal and problem behavior warrant consideration as a marker of distress for victimized children.
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Funding
Participant remuneration was funded through the Binghamton University startup fund for Dr. Jennifer Gillis. Dr. Gillis was involved in study design and manuscript review. There were no external funding sources for this project.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by HEM. The manuscript was written by AJM and HEM. Participant remuneration was funded through the Binghamton University startup fund for JMG. All authors contributed to manuscript revisions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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McClemont, A.J., Morton, H.E., Gillis, J.M. et al. Brief Report: Predictors of School Refusal Due to Bullying in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 1781–1788 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04640-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04640-y