Uniquely Human by Barry M. Prizant, PhD with Tom Fields-Meyer

Barry M. Prizant has worked with children on the autism spectrum and their families for over 40 years. He is an international consultant. Many of his ideas in this book are based on the SCERTS Model, which stands for Social Communication , Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support. "SCERTS provides specific guidelines for helping an individual become a competent and confident social communicator and an active learner, while preventing problem behaviors that interfere with learning and the development of relationships."

Dr. Prizant seems to have amazing listening and observational skills when first meeting a new family who is struggling to understand autism. He also seems to bring a very calming presence to every situation. One thing he explains is that there is no such thing as "autistic behavior". There are "human behaviors" and "human responses" based on a person's experience. I remind people all the time when teaching crisis intervention that people react to situations based on their own perception of what's happening. People on the spectrum often fixate on one thing or subject because that's what is calming for them, or what grounds them.

When people experience emotional dysregulation, they are not available for learning and engaging with others. They experience more feelings of discomfort, anxiety, and confusion than others. They have more difficulty learning how to cope with these feelings and challenges. When these people demonstrate the so-called "autistic behaviors", these behaviors are actually strategies used to feel emotionally regulated. We all use rituals or have habits that help us regulate (deep breathing, pacing).

We need to meet people where they are at. We need to use a person's particular interest as a tool for learning and creating. If we can engage people by using their own interests in the process, they will continue to progress. We need to stop and ask ourselves, what is motivating the behavior? We need to know what is underlying the behavior. 

Autism can be seen as a disability of trust. People with autism have difficulty trusting their own body, trusting the world around them, and trusting other people. "The opposite of anxiety isn't calm, it's trust." All humans can feel anxious and we can react with fear while seeking ways to control our lives, surroundings and relationships. We can help people with autism develop trusting relationships by acknowledging their attempts to communicate, practice shared control to build self-determination, acknowledge the person's emotional state, be dependable, reliable, and clear and celebrating successes.

This is an incredibly insightful book filled with important messages and techniques. I highly recommend it to all families, therapists, teachers and anyone else that is supporting someone on the Autism Spectrum.

Wendy's Rating: *****