ChildLine website looks at autism and bullying

To coincide with Anti-Bullying Week starting from Monday 14 November, ChildLine, the UK's 24-hour helpline service for children, is looking at issues around bullying because of difference. Children and young people are often bullied for being different and this can include children with autism.

Young people with autism can be particularly vulnerable to bullying. They may not always relate to situations as others do and can be labelled as 'different' - resulting in bullies targeting them.

The ChildLine website now gives information and advice to children who have been diagnosed with autism and to those children who have autistic friends or family members. It offers support and encourages anyone who has questions about autism to contact the helpline.

The ChildLine website team have been working closely with Anna Kennedy, an autism campaigner, to develop the new information. The Anna Kennedy website is a place where families who are experiencing living with autism can get news, advice and find ways of coping with the condition.

Special thanks to Anna Kennedy for also introducing ChildLine to James Hobley, an 11-year-old boy with autism who wowed the nation with his dancing on Britain's Got Talent. James has agreed to make a video for the ChildLine website in which he talks about how he dealt with his condition growing up and overcame bullying to become a highly talented performer.