I have an 11 year old mildly autistic daughter. She has survived Primary school ok so far but has recently made a new ‘friend’. We were wary as this ‘friend’ has a reputation for being a manipulative bully, and sure enough a few months in and this ‘friend’ keeps telling my daughter that everyone hates hear and telling everyone not to play with my daughter one day, but then the next day will be sweet as pie and her best friend again.
My daughter gets really confused by this - she just can’t see this girl for the manipulator that she is as she is emotionally naive. She gets very upset, crying a lot at school. I try to tell her that she’s great and we love her to bits, that this reaction is what the bully wants, that she should just try to shrug it off with a ‘whatever’ and go to play with someone else, but the bully’s words are cutting, her autistic brain can’t take a step back from the situation and she can’t help but get very upset.
Appreciate any helpful suggestions, esp anyone else with a mildly autistic child in mainstream education having to help them cope with nonsense like this. I’m worried that her reaction - getting upset easily - will mark her out for bullies going forward to secondary school. School are no help at all - turning a blind eye. I am raging inside but know that won’t help my daughter.