Autistic Students and Stalking-Like Behavior

Stalking is when someone tries to connect or talk to another person in a way that is unwanted and happens repeatedly (Mullen et al., 1999). This can include things like calling or texting, reaching out through social media, monitoring or watching the person, giving gifts that are not wanted, approaching the person or their family and friends, causing damage to their property, or making threats against them (The Stalking Prevention, Awareness & Resource Center: SPARC).

Connection, Communication, & Collaboration

School staff can engage with families to support positive student outcomes through connection, communication, and collaboration. By establishing trusting and cooperative relationships, these approaches build bright futures.

Consent

Consent means giving permission to another person to do something to or with you AND getting permission from another person to do something to or with them. Consent may be difficult for both autistic and non-autistic people to understand because of different verbal and non-verbal cues used during social interactions. In many cases, it is important to intentionally teach what consent is and why it is important.

Mental Health in Autistic Youth

Mental health is important for all young people, including autistic youth. Autistic youth experience mental health challenges at rates four to six times higher than their non-autistic peers (Mental Health Toolkit, 2018). According to Narendorf et al. (2011), almost half of school-age autistic students received mental health services in the past year.

Sexual Health and Online Safety

Online interactions are now a big part of life. People can easily find information, learn new things, connect, and share with others. For autistic young adults, the internet offers ways to make friends, play games, and explore their interests. However, being online also has risks. Autistic individuals are more likely to experience cyberbullying, scams, and come into contact with criminal activity (Macmillan et al., 2022).

Start Engaging with Families

The best student and school outcomes are achieved when families and schools work collaboratively. In this document, we share some key aspects of START’s family engagement efforts, including our compelling why and our core values for family engagement.

Teaching Autistic Students About Healthy Relationships

All young people should learn about healthy relationships so they know how to treat others with kindness and respect and how to recognize if they’re being treated that way. Learning about topics like communication, boundaries, and consent promotes safety and helps youth build strong connections.