Peer Victimization and Communication Skills in Adolescents with Down Syndrome: Preliminary Findings.

Reardanz et al. (2020) asked teens with Down syndrome about bullying. They also tested how well the teens talk with others.

The team compared the teens to kids without disabilities. They wanted to see if better talking skills protect against bullying.

Teens with Down syndrome were picked on more than their peers. The ones who spoke clearly and stood up for themselves had fewer problems.

Strong talking skills acted like a shield. Weak skills left the teens open to teasing.

Delprato (2002) saw no peer-involvement gap in preschoolers with Down syndrome. Jenna’s teens faced more victimization. The gap grows with age, so watch middle-school transition closely.

Ferreri et al. (2011) mapped risk and protective factors in younger kids. Jenna’s work extends that map to adolescence. Communication stays a key lever.

Sasson et al. (2018) found teens with Down syndrome read angry faces like four-year-olds. Poor emotion reading plus weak speech equals higher bullying risk. Target both skills in one plan.

You can add communication goals to the IEP today. Practice short comeback phrases, joint story-telling, and emotion-labeling games. These simple drills may cut bullying more than generic social-skills groups. Track peer reports each quarter to see if the shield is working.