 BONUS!
Read the Foreword to Perfect Targets
by Brenda Smith Myles
On a recent visit to a nearby elementary school, I
had some time to spare while waiting for an appointment, and elected
to spend it on the school playground on a beautiful spring morning.
My attention was soon caught by Sandy, a 9-year-old girl with Asperger
Syndrome (AS). Sandy was surrounded by three girls-all busily talking.
Although the three girls were smiling and laughing, it was difficult
from my vantage point to tell what they were saying. As I moved
closer, I heard the girls telling Sandy that it would be really
funny if she snuck into the classroom early and put a tack on their
homeroom teacher's chair, Ms. Carlson. This was clearly no sudden
impulse; the girls were ready-before Sandy even had time to respond,
they gave her a tack and egged her on, saying that everyone in the
class would laugh and think she was great if Ms. Carlson sat on
the tack!
I normally don't intercede in schools I visit, but
when no other adult moved to the group, I stepped forward. In a
stern voice, I told the girls that what they were doing was inappropriate
and that I was going to report them to the principal. I added that
it is never okay to do something to a teacher or other person that
can hurt them. While the three girls were very upset that they had
been caught, Sandy appeared puzzled, almost disappointed at the
turn of events. After escorting the group, including Sandy, to the
office. I explained the situation to the principal, who promptly
asked the three girls to come into his office and talk to him.
As Sandy and I walked back to her classroom, she appeared
very upset. When I asked what was wrong, she blamed me for having
ruined her friendship with the girls. When I tried to explain that
true friends do not set up their friends like this, Sandy responded,
although somewhat subdued, that they were her friends because they
usually talked to her during recess!
This type of heartbreaking and cruel scenario is a
frequent occurrence in the lives of children and youth with Asperger
Syndrome, making them feel less than adequate, confused, or upset,
sometimes with lifelong consequences. Failing to understand that
they are being bullied, some, like Sandy, follow the group that
hurts them or prompts them to do something inappropriate out of
a desperate wish just to belong and have "friends."
Bullying has reached epidemic proportions nationwide
among children and youth with AS. Tragically, it is so common that
some children with AS, like Sandy, consider bullying a typical part
of their day! It is a very sad reflection on our society that a
book like this is necessary. However, given the realities of the
daily lives of children and youth with AS in schools and in neighborhoods,
it is probably one of the books most needed by these children, their
parents, and teachers.
In this powerful book, Rebekah has addressed the silent
epidemic of bullying in a manner that is both truthful and compassionate.
With a large dose of objectivity, she identifies the various types
of bullying, holding both adults and bullies accountable. Unlike
some other bullying programs, she does not make the students with
AS responsible for protecting themselves from bullying, recognizing
that the persons being bullied have the least power and, therefore,
few options with which to protect themselves, including friends
who can stand up for them. Interspersing poignant stories of children
and adults with AS who have been victimized, Rebekah offers practical
solutions to the bullying at the school wide, classroom, and individual
level. Throughout, special attention is paid to the unique characteristics
of individuals with AS that makes them more vulnerable than most
to this cruel form of behavior.
Among the numerous books I have read, I believe this
is the most socially valid and significant on this topic. In writing
this much-needed resource, Rebekah has made a significant contribution
to the lives of children and youth with AS and their parents, as
well as added to the repertoire of strategies teachers and school
leaders can use to stem the tide of bullying. Perfect Targets will
positively impact individuals with AS and help them feel safe in
their school and community-for some, perhaps for the first time!!
__Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D., Associate Professor,
University of Kansas
Author (with colleagues),
Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments: Practical Solutions for
Tantrums, Rage, and Meltdowns; Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence:
Practical Solutions for School Success; Asperger Syndrome and Sensory
Issues: Practical Solutions for Making Sense of the World; Asperger
Syndrome: A Guide for Educators and Parents.
Excerpted from Heinrichs, R. (2003). Perfect targets: Asperger
Syndrome and bullying: Practical solutions for surviving the social
world. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Co. Reprinted
with permission.
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Perfect Targets: Asperger Syndrome and Bullying
(Practical Solutions for Surviving the Social World
by Rebekah Heinrichs
PURCHASE
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the Reviews
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