Prizant, B.M. & Field‐Meyers, T. (2015). Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 978‐1‐4767‐7623‐1. 256 pp. (Hardcover)

Abstract

Schuster. ISBN: 978-1-4767-7623-1. 256 pp. (Hardcover)Autism touches nearly everyone. Either we have been touched personally by an autistic child, or have a friend who has a child who has been diagnosed, or we may know adults who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The US Centers for Disease Control estimates that ASD will affect one in every 50 school age children, making it the most commonly diagnosed disability (Prizant & Field-Meyers, 2015, p. 3). As a result, school systems and the education programs that provide new teachers and therapists for special needs students are working to keep up with the demand.As a special education teacher, I have worked with numerous students with ASD, from Asperger to barely verbal. In special education, we are constantly seeking the best way(s) to teach, guide, and help develop ASD children. Drawing on my more than 15 years of experience in Special and General Education and as a teacher of college-level psychology, I have reviewed the book Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism, that addresses this and other concerns of both educators and parents in a useful and accessible way.Dr. Barry Prizant has more than 40 years working as a researcher and consultant for those with ASD and their families. He is an adjunct professor at Brown University and has more than 120 publications on autism, other developmental disabilities, and on child and human development more broadly. Tom Fields-Meyers is a parent who has raised an autistic son, as well as working as a former senior writer for People. He currently teaches at the UCLA Extension Writer's Program.The book is presented in two parts, and each part has about six chapters. The first part is about understanding autism, while part two focuses on living with autism. Dr. Prizant takes a unique perspective to autism. He prefers not to use a "behavioral assessment approach" to autism because he feels that approach tries to "define a child as a sum of his deficits" and that we measure success in a way where "we can make a child look and act 'normal'." Instead, he suggests that a more productive approach is to dig deeper into the psychology of the child to see what motivates the behavior, and if there are any underlying patterns. Dr. Prizant believes that what is commonly referred to as autistic behaviors are in fact "strategies the person uses to feel better" and regulate their emotions, which is something that all people do.The authors discuss listening, and highlight that as educators we need to actively listen to what the ASD child is trying to communicate. The book explains that echolalia, the tendency to repeat words, phrases, or sentences, can be an attempt to communicate and develop language. The remarkably simple, but seemingly difficult, advice to "listen, observe, and ask why?" is useful for

The Effects of Children’s Friendship Training on Social Skills and Quality of Play among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Another big challenge for children with ASD is to be involved in quality social play, which is an important milestone in social development (Ray-Kaeser, et al, 2017;Salter et al, 2016). Children normally develop their creativity through play and this helps them improve their imagination, physical, cognitive, emotional, and social skills (Clark, 2016;Pop, Pintea, Vanderborght, & David, 2014). It is, however, a challenge for children with ASD to engage in a symbolic or pretend play because they are not equipped with the skills it requires.…”