Assessing PTSD in Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Background: Previous research has indicated that roughly 63% to 77% of adolescents diagnosed with ASD will experience bullying (IAN, 2012; Cappadocia, Weiss, & Pepler, 2012). Idsoe, Dyregrov, & Idsoe (2012) explored the psychological impact of bullying in neurotypical students by assessing students for symptoms of PTSD. They reported that approximately one third of bullied students met criteria for PTSD.

Objectives: The primary objective of the current study was to examine the association between bullying victimization and PTSD symptoms in adolescents with ASD. Research questions sought to assess if adolescents diagnosed with ASD would report being bullied more frequently than their neurotypical peers, and if PTSD symptoms would be reported at similar rates for both ASD and neurotypical youth.

Methods:  A total of 33 adolescents (n=10 in the ASD group; n=23 in the non-ASD group) and 52 parents (n=19 in the ASD group; n=33 in the non-ASD group) participated in an online survey. The survey assessed the frequency that the adolescent has experienced bullying, has participated in bullying others, and PTSD symptoms that were a consequence of bullying experiences. All participants were administered the Olweus Revised Bullying and Victimization Questionnaire (OBQ) as well as the Children Revised Impact of Events Scale (CRIES; 8) and CRIES (13).

Results: Sixty-seven percent of parent respondents in the ASD group reported their child was bullied at least two to three times per month, and 55% of parents reported their child was bullied at least once a week. Forty percent of victims in the ASD group met or exceeded cutoff criteria on both the CRIES (8) and CRIES (13) PTSD measure. Within the non-ASD group, 15% of parents reported their children experienced victimization two to three times per month, and 12% of victims met criteria for the CRIES (13), while 27% met criteria for the CRIES (8). There was strong agreement between adolescent and parent report.

Conclusions: Results of the current study suggest that there was indeed an association between bullying victimization and meeting PTSD cutoff criteria in both groups. Moreover, results of the current study are consistent with research that has assessed the frequency that ASD youth experience bullying (IAN, 2012; Cappadocia et al., 2012) as well as research that has assessed the frequency neurotypical youth experience PTSD symptoms as a result of bullying experiences (Idsoe et al., 2012). The findings of the current study indicate a clear need for future research relating to assessing PTSD in the ASD population as well as research that seeks to accurately capture the frequency that youth diagnosed with ASD experience bullying. Future research could also focus on the efficacy of bullying prevention programs and how those programs may reduce the frequency and impact that bullying can have in the ASD community.