Professional
Activities
Biography
| Education | Professional
Experience | Selected
Presentations
Rebekah Heinrichs, MSN, MS Ed
heinrichs@aspergerinformation.org
Biography:
Rebekah
Heinrichs works as an educational specialist in autism spectrum
disorders and bullying prevention. She has both a masters
degree in pediatric nursing and in special education with a focus
on autism spectrum disorders. Rebekah has worked as a certified
parent educator with the Parents as Teachers (PAT) program and is
a trained community facilitator with the Adults and Children Together
(ACT) Against Violence program. She is the author of Perfect
Targets: Asperger Syndrome and Bullying: Practical Solutions for
Surviving the Social World.
Rebekah speaks nationally and internationally on educational, social,
and bullying issues with a special focus on how they relate to children
with autism spectrum disorders and other exceptionalities. She also
facilitates the Asperger Information Website, which provides information
to individuals on the autism spectrum and to the parents and professionals
who advocate for them. This website includes a newsletter, The
Target, and a discussion board, Asperger
Information Discussion Forum.
Perfect Targets: Asperger Syndrome and Bullying: Practical Solutions
for Surviving the Social World
Education:
Master of Education in Special Education
with a focus on autism spectrum disorders, University of Kansas,
Lawrence, KS, spring 2001
Master of Science in Nursing with an emphasis on parent/child nursing,
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, summer 1982
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Spalding University, Louisville,
KY, 1979
Professional Experience:
April 2005 to Present:
Trained program facilitator with the Adults and Children Together
ACT) Against Violence program {focuses on teaching adults who parent
or work with young children (birth to eight years) about anger management,
social problem solving, discipline, and media literacy}
Fall 2004 to Fall 2005:
Trained parent educator with First Steps Washtenaw, Chelsea Parents
as Teachers in Chelsea, MI
Fall 2003:
Book published: Heinrichs, R. (2003). Perfect targets: Asperger
Syndrome and bullying: Practical solutions for surviving the social
world. Shawnee Mission: KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Co.
Spring 2001 to Present:
Educational specialist in autism spectrum disorders and bullying
prevention
National and international speaker on educational, social, and bullying
issues with a special focus on how these issues relate to children
with autism spectrum disorders and other exceptionalities
Facilitator of the Asperger Information website at http://www.aspergerinformation.org,
which provides information to individuals on the autism spectrum
and the parents and professionals who advocate for them; also forum
administrator for the discussion board
Facilitated the Autism/Asperger Syndrome Parent Support Group from
May 2001 through April 2002 in Overland Park, KS
Part-time work at the Autism Asperger Resource Center in Kansas
City, Kansas, Summer 2001
Marketing and Conference Coordinator/Part-time with the Autism Asperger
Publishing Company, Fall 2001
January 2000 to Spring 2001:
Graduate student at the University of Kansas: Counselor at Camp
Determination in Kansas the summer of 2000. Camp Determination is
a unique camp for children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome.
September 1988 to Spring 2001:
Self-employed (Direct Sales)/ PRN staff nurse
June 1987 to Sept 1988:
Staff nurse (6 months), Charge nurse (10 months), full-time, University
of Kentucky Medical Center: Charge nurse responsibilities included
evening shift coverage for all of pediatrics, neonatal ICU and pediatric
ICU
May 1985 to June 1987:
Nurse coordinator of clinical research, full-time, Kentucky Diabetes
Foundation: Coordination and application of all research studies;
also Diabetes Nurse Educator to the KDF client population; Certified
Diabetes Educator
August 1982 to May 1985:
Assistant Professor of nursing, full-time, Lexington Community College,
Lexington, KY
June 1979 to August 1982:
Charge and staff nurse, full-time, Norton Children's Hospital; part-time,
Central Baptist Hospital
Published Works:
Edited by Myles, B.S., Swanson, T.C., Holverstott, J. &
Duncan, M.M. (2007) Autism spectrum disorders (Two Volumes):
A handbook for parents and professional (Contributed section
on bullying), p. 54-57.
Heinrichs, R. (2006). Asperger Syndrome and bullying: What matters
most. AAPC Community of Support: For Parents, Professionals and
People on the Spectrum Newsletter, Autism Asperger Publishing
Co., Winter 2007, p. 5-6.
Heinrichs, R. (2003). Perfect targets: Asperger Syndrome and
bullying: Practical solutions for surviving the social world.
Shawnee Mission: KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Co.
Heinrichs, R. (2003). How to stop bullying. ASK-U (Kids with
Asperger Syndrome United) Newsletter, Asperger Syndrome Coalition
of the U.S., Inc., October, p. 6-7.
Heinrichs, R. (2003). A whole-school approach to bullying: Special
considerations for children with exceptionalities. Intervention
in School and Clinic, 38 (4), p. 195-204.
Selected Presentations:
November 2008: Keynote speaker at the International Bullying
Prevention Association's Annual Conference, Indianapolis, IN
April 2008: Bullying Prevention: The Power
of Empathy, MN Cross Categorical Network, Minneapolis, MN.
December 2007: Preparing your Child for
Social Success (presentation to parent group) and Asperger's Syndrome
and Bullying: Prevention and Intervention for Children at Risk,
ESC Region XI, Fort Worth, TX.
November 2007: Asperger Syndrome and Bullying:
Empowering Adults and Students to Make a Difference, Autism
Society of Northwest Ohio, Toledo, OH.
October 2007: Asperger Syndrome, High
Functioning Autism & PDD: Bullying Interventions and Strategies,
AHA Fall 2007 Conference, AHA/Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning
Autism Association, Holbrook, New York
October 2007: Bullying and Asperger Syndrome,
Long Island, New York.
September 2007: The Early Years: What
Matters Most in Violence and Bullying Prevention, First Annual
International NATTAP (Network of Autism Training
and Technical Assistance Programs) Conference,
Columbus, Ohio
July 2007: Autism Society of America's 38th
National Conference on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Phoenix/Scottsdale,
Arizona
June 2007: Asperger Syndrome and Bullying,
Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 Educational Conference, Pennsylvania
January 2007: Bullying Prevention: How
to Advocate for and Protect Children with Disabilities (working
title), MN State-wide Training Conference, MN State Disability
Specialists, Minnesota Dept. of Education, Minnesota
August 2006: Asperger Syndrome and Bullying,
repeated half-day presentations, 2006 National Autism Conference,
Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance network, Penn State
University, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
June 2006: Asperger Syndrome and Bullying,
3rd Annual Current Trends in Mental health Conference, Dickinson,
North Dakota
June 2006: Practical Strategies for Bullying
and Social Success, 2 day conference, Kentucky Autism Training
Center, Louisville, Kentucky
May 2006: Asperger Syndrome and Bullying,
Keynote address and concurrent session, 2006 National Autism Symposium,
Missouri Dept. of Mental health's Division of Mental Retardation
and Developmental Disabilities, Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach,
Missouri
March 2006: Discipline 911, Parent
Education Seminar, Chelsea Parents As Teachers Program, Chelsea
School District, Chelsea, MI
October 2005: Bullying and AS: Strategies
for Promoting a Safer Social World and Learning Environment,
presenter at the ASPEN® Fall Conference, Iselin, New Jersey
October 2005: ACT Against Violence preschool
staff training, Ann Arbor, MI
October 2004: Bullying: Interventions
and Strategies, Fourth Annual AAPC, Asperger Advocacy Coalition
Conference, Eugene, OR
April 2004: Bullying: Interventions and
Strategies, Autism Society of Michigan Spring Conference, Livonia,
MI
April 2004: Bullying Prevention in Schools:
Special Considerations for Students with Asperger Syndrome and Autism,
presenter at the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Annual Convention
and Expo, New Orleans, LA
November 2003: Bullies, Victims, and Bystanders,
Presentation and Book signing sponsored by the Autism Asperger Publishing
Co., Overland Park, KS
November 2003: Asperger Syndrome and Bullying:
Practical Solutions for Surviving the Social World, Parent Support
Network, Inc. Conference, West Nyack, NY
October 2003: A Special Session on Bullying
Preventions, Conference sponsored by the Autism Asperger Publishing
Co., Boise, ID
July 2003: Asperger Syndrome and
Bullying, Autism Society of America's National Conference on
Autism, Pittsburgh, PA
July 2003: Bullying and Asperger Syndrome,
MAAP National Conference, Kansas City, KS
September 2001: Parenting for Success:
Empowering Information for Parents of Children with Asperger Syndrome,
Developed and taught a four-week session, Overland Park, KS
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