Perfect Targets. Asperger Syndrome and Bullying Practical Solutions for Surviving the Social World

Customer Reviews

Bullying - Contact as Well as Spectator Sport

2004-12-30
This is the book that every parent and/or caretaker of a child with Asperger's Syndrome has been waiting for. People with Asperger's, which is a neurobiological condition on the autism spectrum experience social difficulties including communication. Since people with AS often find tacit Social Codes & Rules challenging at best, incomprehensible at worst, they are often targeted by bullies. This book is a good tool of empowerment.

Helpful guide for parents

2004-02-17
As the mom of an Aspie who is being bullied I found the information timely and helpful. Harrassment is a very complex issue, but this book breaks it down into all it's components nicely. The real life stories just broke your heart, but are all too familliar.

The aspect I found the most surprising was on the kids who want to help but instead are on the sidelines watching it happen, and why they act that way. Each situation is different, but I feel this book will be helpful to most parents with an Aspie child. Maybe one of the true life stories will speak to your situation. The insights given by one AS adult looking back on his bullied childhood was very helpful to me in our situation.

At the very least, it is comforting to know that as a parent you aren't alone in your pain!

A Much Needed Resource 2003-10-19
This excellent book on bullying and Asperger Syndrome is so needed. It provides lots of practical approaches to parents, teachers, administrators, other school staff, and students. Everyone who is concerned about the impact of bullying in our schools and communities could benefit from reading this book.

Everyone should read this 2008-05-10
This is a great book that should be mandatory for all Special Education staff and administration staff of every school district! This explained things that we knew were there but did not have enough information on. This is extremely helpful.

This is a MUST HAVE if you have a child with Asperger's 2006-11-20
Rebekah Heinrichs nails this bullying and asperger's. It's truly well written and the IEP goals, student surveys, countless stories that I kept knodding to all make this book a must have. We didn't have ANY goals last year on bullying. Who would have thought you could? We got through all the educational goals including PT, OT, Speech but never did I think of bullying. I didn't think we'd have to worry about it either but I should have listened to our autism specialist who warned us that nearly 100% of Asperger's children are bullied at some point. :( We weren't prepared last year when it started for our son and things went pretty bad. At the end of the school year last year, we had our IEP planning meeting. We copied the IEP goals from Perfect Targets and with a few minor adjustments, put ourselves in a much, MUCH better situation this year. Things aren't perfect for us but we are in a better situation to deal with the school that truly does want to help but really sometimes just doesn't understand our kids. Remember, they look soooo normal but they need so much understanding and compassion and protection too.

Get copies for your school too instead of re-ordering and paying extra for shipping.

The author has a website for support on any issues dealing with asperger's and she sometimes posts herself too!

UPDATE: What is written above was right when we were having some issues and I wasn't sure if we were headed down the same path as last year which was horrible. We've been working with the school (with the team of staff members and ourselves often referring to this book) and the bullying is almost completely gone. It took an open social worker (new one this year) to give this a chance and try something new. I think the IEP containing goals that deal with bullying makes this an issue that cannot be ignored. But I also think that having the staff read this book opened their minds. I could tell they began to realize that you don't always know who instigates and to take the 'blame' out of it and simply work with the children. Last year we felt nothing but blame on our son from the bully's parents, the kids, the staff. This year they kept an open mind and could see more clearly how things get started and get so mixed up so easily. For example: at one occasion a child was bullying my son (had been for a couple weeks) and my son just stayed away from him at recess time. My son played with another child he gets along very well with. The bully at the time went over, tried to break up their play and when it didn't work, he ran the long way around the recess area, went up to my son's aide who was out there and told her that my son was chasing and hurting him. Well, she saw the whole thing, told this boy he was not telling the truth and she told my son "I know you didn't do it." We almost had a party when we heard that one! Last year, my son would have gotten into trouble for chasing the boy because they would have believed him and not paid so much attention at recess or in the halls... PLEASE get this book!

Essential resource for parents and educators 2006-10-08
As a parent of a teen with Asperger Syndrome and an educator, I cannot stress the importance of this book enough. It is an essential resource that is a "must read" for every educator, administrator and pupil support service provider. My child had been severely harassed in her middle school to the point of school refusal. Every day she would beg me not to send her to "hell". As I read Perfect Targets, I saw my daughter's life in middle school unfold upon its very pages. I plan to gift this book to every elementary, middle and high school administrator in my district with the hope that no other AS child will have to endure such physical or emotional pain.

Nothing for Adults with Asperger's 2006-10-03
Once again, another book about Asperger Syndrome that focuses almost exclusively on children. This would be a great book for a parent, educator, etc. What people forget, is that children with Asperger's eventually grow up and become adults with Asperger's. It seems that those of us who are adults with this disability have fallen through the cracks. There is very little published to help adults on the autistic spectrum. I experienced bullying not just as a child, but also as an adult in the workforce, to the point where I was forced to quit working altogether.

advocate mom 2006-08-22
this is a must have book for parents and even teachers of children with aspergers. this book has been a big help to me and my son. the children diagnosed with aspergers are the most truthful, loving children. but they are also behind their peers in maturity. this book is a tremendous help.