bullying

Children with asperger syndrome often get horrendously bullied at school. Due to their inability to read social cues they tend to come across as a bit weird, and often say embarrassing remarks or make social blunders. As a result, the school bullies home in on them like lions circling an injured wildebeest.

Which makes this story even more shocking.
Read the rest of this entry »

A referral letter comes to CAMHS from the GP. A child is experiencing distress as a result of being bullied at school, and the GP wants us to see the child. At the team meeting, the consultant wonders whether this is really a psychiatric issue or more of a school issue. The letter is handed to the Primary Mental Health Worker (whose role it is to liaise with GPs, schools, voluntary agencies and other people who have contact with children but aren’t mental health specialists themselves), and she’s asked to find out a bit more about it. She writes back to the GP asking which school the child is at, if the school are aware of the problem, and if so what steps they’re taking to try to halt the bullying. She also asks for some more detail as to what psychiatric symptoms the child is displaying, if any.

The GP writes back to the PMHW. His reply doesn’t answer any of the PMHW’s questions. Instead he simply reiterates that the child is “acutely distressed” by the bullying and therefore he wants the kid to have a psychiatric appointment.
Read the rest of this entry »