Review: Uniquely Human by Barry M. Prizant, PHD with Tom Fields-Meyer

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

$24.95
Simon & Schuster
Hardcover also available as an ebook, 256 pages

ISBN: 9781476776231

Uniquely Human deftly describes how a person with autism responds to people and events around them.  The clear message about respect for the person with autism, parents, teachers and other members of the team of people involved with supporting and educating the person with autism makes this book a powerful tool for parents, teachers and others who work with autistic youth.

A key idea presented in the book is about trust and how a lack of trust in the world or people can result in anxiety and in some of the bewildering or surprising behaviors that a person with autism uses to control his world or to communicate fear or discomfort with what is happening.

An important topic covered in this book is emotional memory and how a seemly unimportant action or sight can trigger an out of proportion response in a person with autism.  The response is because that sight or sound or action has thrown the person back to an event that was traumatic for him and he is feeling again all the emotions he felt freshly at the time of the original traumatic event.  Prizant discusses how it is more helpful to ask why and respond with respect, comfort and kindness than to assume that the person with autism is being resistant, non-compliant or purposefully aggressive.

As a parent of a person with autism, I recognized many of the situations and the actions that resulted.  As a member of the Special Education Community Advisory Committee for my local Special Education Local Plan Area I recognized the different viewpoints that various school staff, teachers, principals, therapists, and community members can have about students with autism.  This book is an excellent approach to encouraging teamwork and support for the student with autism. 

The Guide to Resources includes an excellent list of books, websites and autism support organizations for professionals, parents and family members, and for people with autism.  While I was reading the book for review, a stranger noticed the title and asked me if she could take down the information on the book for her friend who has a son with autism.  Many parents, teachers and aides are hungry for helpful information and this book will satisfy the need.  I wish this book had been available when my son was still in school, but much of the information is still valuable as he makes his way to independence as an adult with autism.

Kathy Johnson is a reviewer for BookPleasures.com

Book Review: The Science of Making Friends

The Science of Making Friends: Helping Socially Challenged Teens and Young Adults

By Elizabeth A. Laugeson, PSY.D.

$25.95 US/ $29.95 CAN
JOSSEY-BASS
Trade Paperback also available as an ebook, 358 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1118127216

Do you know someone who has trouble making friends?  A lot of self-help books give bland advice that doesn’t help in the long run, but this book is not a self help book. It is the first educational book on making friends I have seen that not only talks about the issues but gives instructions in an easy to follow format.  This book is a genuine resource for parents, aides, and teachers who want to make a true difference for someone with social skills deficits.  The book is based on PEERS (Program for the Educational Enrichment of Relational Skills) from UCLA.

The Chapters are arranged in a natural order for developing relational or friend making skills.  Each part of the book addressing skills contains an introductory explanation of the purpose of the skill, the rules for applying the skill, example role plays both in the book and the accompanying dvd, and then practice tasks, a summary, and some exercises to practice the new skill. Each skill area is broken down into basic sub-skills.    

The topics covered include why we should teach social skills to teens and young adults, how to find and choose good friends, the basics of good conversations, how to start or enter a conversation, how to exit a conversation, how to manage electronic communications, how to show good sportsmanship, how to enjoy a successful get together, and how to handle peer conflict or rejection.

The sections on handling peer conflict or rejection are especially important for teens or young adults because it addresses such topics as arguments, teasing, cyber bullying, rumors and gossip, avoiding physical bullying, changing a bad reputation. 

The dvd shows examples of both successful social interactions and errors in social interaction that can affect whether the other person will want to continue interacting in future.  For example, one of the role plays shows a person standing too closely during a conversation and how the other person reacts uncomfortably.

After reading the book, I discussed some of the ideas presented with my son who has autism.  He was intrigued and encouraged to try the steps for himself.    This book is useful for helping anyone who is struggling with how to make and keep friends.  It is also an excellent resource for parents or teachers who are struggling to know how to help a youth who really wants to learn how to have and be a friend.

Kathy Johnson is a reviewer for BookPleasures.com.  This review also appears on the BookPleasures site.