Unfortunately, students with disabilities are 2 to 3 times more likely to be bullied than those without disabilities. Children who are bullied because of their disability are protected under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Luckily, parents have legal rights because of this law.
However, it is extremely important to spend time discussing with your child the different types of bullies, and what bullying is so that they are able to identify when or if they are being bullied, and report it so the child is alleviated of the abuse.
55% of students with ADHD and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) are found to be victims of bullying, and 20% were found to be doing both the bullying, and were victims themselves. It is important to recognize the signs of bullying (whether the victim or pepetrator) in order to stop the abuse (signs of bullies and victims are under the section labeled "ARE YOU A BULLY/VICTIM".
Children who are at a higher level functioning of autism were actually found to be bullied 3 times more than children with a lower functioning of autism. This is because they are able to communicate with their peers, and their "social awkwardness" makes them more of a target. Not only that, but they are unable to read social cues from peers. Somtimes, they may not even understand that they are being bullied. Because of this, it is essential for the parents to be able to read the signs of abuse.
It is imperative that parents with none-disabled children teach their children about different types of disabilities so they are able to have a level of understanding of disabilities. Teachers need to be able to recognize the bullying of a disabled child as well, and to include disabled children in supervised group activities. Doing so could improve the understanding of the childs disability and lead to more acceptance.
If your child has a disability and is being bullied, remember you have legal rights to stop the bullying.