Jesse Saperstein to Speak in Millbrook New York, April 21

Jesse A. Saperstein is a best-selling author, autism advocate and motivational speaker. He is considered one of the most respected leaders in the Anti-Bullying movement of his generation. Jesse also has a form of autism called Asperger's syndrome (AS). Individuals with Asperger's are impaired by a profound lack of social skills, common sense, and resistance to change in routine.

Jesse's story, "Atypical: Life with Asperger's in 20 1/3 Chapters," was published by Penguin Group (USA) in April 2010 and immediately became a popular memoir due to its practical advice and outrageous humor. The book quickly rose to the top of Amazon.com and placed Jesse as a dynamic media personality, motivational speaker and most important, an advocate for people with disabilities.

After receiving a grant from the Anderson Center for Autism (ACA) in Staatsburg, New York, Jesse completed his first skydiving jump in front of his community in an effort to eradicate bullying.  "Free-Falling to End Bullying in 2012" is currently a popular video on YouTube:  www.youtube.com/jessesaperstein

Jesse visits schools on a regular basis and has been successful with wiping out bullying or at least dramatically alleviating it with every presentation. He is currently working on initiatives to pioneer a middle/high school class in New York State that will be similar to Health, but will focus on educating young people about misunderstood disabilities as well as the psychological and legal consequences of bullying.  The class will be called, "Lessons in Compassion."

His talk at the Merritt Bookstore & Toys of Merritt on Saturday, April 21st, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. will cover his wacky misadventures with mortuary science and substitute teaching.  He will also focus on strategies that have helped him survive in the social world, such as compromising on the original compromise and laughing once in a while.  ("Humor is the nectar that we squeeze out of our profound anguish.")  And most important, it is important to look into the mirror once in a while and give to ourselves what may not always come from someone else!