Using self- and parent-reports to test the association between peer victimization and internalizing symptoms in verbally fluent adolescents with ASD.

Van Hanegem et al. (2014) asked verbally fluent boys with autism about being picked on at school. They also asked their parents the same questions.

The team wanted to know if the teens' own answers predicted anxiety and depression better than parent answers alone.

The teens' own reports of victimization predicted internalizing symptoms, even after parent reports were considered.

In plain words: ask the teen, not just the parent, if you want to spot emotional risk.

Schertz et al. (2016) extends this work. They interviewed autistic teens in depth and found standard bullying surveys miss key details. Open-ended questions catch what tick-boxes skip.

Day et al. (2021) adds another layer. They show that autistic teens who hide their traits (camouflaging) also report more depression and anxiety. Victimization and camouflaging may both feed internalizing problems.

Simantov et al. (2024) echoes the informant theme. When parents and teens rate empathy, the scores differ; communication gaps, not true empathy gaps, drive the mismatch. The same likely applies to victimization reports.

If you work with verbally fluent autistic adolescents, give them a private, structured way to tell you about peer cruelty. Their words add unique information you will not get from parents alone. Combine these self-reports with questions about camouflaging and social activity fit to see a fuller picture of emotional risk. A five-minute teen checklist at intake can flag who needs deeper mental-health support.