Description
Product Description
A groundbreaking book on autism, by one of the world’s leading experts, who portrays autism as a unique way of being human—this is “required reading....Breathtakingly simple and profoundly positive” (
Chicago Tribune).
Autism therapy typically focuses on ridding individuals of “autistic” symptoms such as difficulties interacting socially, problems in communicating, sensory challenges, and repetitive behavior patterns. Now Dr. Barry M. Prizant offers a new and compelling paradigm: the most successful approaches to autism don’t aim at fixing a person by eliminating symptoms, but rather seeking to understand the individual’s experience and what underlies the behavior.
“A must-read for anyone touched by autism... Dr. Prizant’s
Uniquely Human is a crucial step in promoting better understanding and a more humane approach” (Associated Press). Instead of classifying “autistic” behaviors as signs of pathology, Dr. Prizant sees them as part of a range of strategies to cope with a world that feels chaotic and overwhelming. Rather than curb these behaviors, it’s better to enhance abilities, build on strengths, and offer supports that will lead to more desirable behavior and a better quality of life.
“A remarkable approach to autism....A truly impactful, necessary book” (
Kirkus Reviews, starred review),
Uniquely Human offers inspiration and practical advice drawn from Dr. Prizant’s four-decade career. It conveys a deep respect for people with autism and their own unique qualities. Filled with humanity and wisdom,
Uniquely Human “should reassure parents and caregivers of kids with autism and any other disability that their kids are not broken, but, indeed, special” (
Booklist, starred review).
Review
"From its first pages,
Uniquely Human establishes itself as a must-read for anyone touched by autism...contains a trove of experiences that will resonate, offer ideas, give hope... This book is a crucial step in promoting better understanding and a more humane approach." Source: Associated Press
"Refreshing--and constructive.... It should be required reading for all educators and practitioners working with autism....Breathtakingly simple and profoundly positive." Source: Chicago Tribune
"
Uniquely Human...details stories that will resonate with parents or loved ones when a child is first diagnosed with autism. Families may find Prizant’s approach...positive and uplifting." Source: Providence Journal
"Prizant distils decades of working with autistic children and adults, and their teams, into practical advice for lowering stress, leveraging strengths and interests, building resilience, and importantly, embracing and celebrating difference...Prizant's is a message of empathy, support and empowerment...Prizant shows [that] such understanding creates a context in which people with ASD can thrive, not just survive." Source: Nature
"A remarkable approach to autism....A truly impactful, necessary book." Source: Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Uplifting...This positive volume should reassure parents and caregivers of kids with autism and any other disability that their kids are not broken, but, indeed, special." Source: Booklist, starred review
"Prizant is a respected voice in the autism community, and the methods demonstrated here are backed by case study and experience. Parents, especially parents of the newly diagnosed, may find a ray of hope in the often bleak landscape of early diagnosis and the endless search for answers and information that inevitably results." Source: Library Journal
"Dr. Prizant explains the causes of behaviors associated with autism. I love his approach for understanding problems with sensory overload, anxiety and discomfort. He provides common sense, practical advice based on a 40-year career working in the trenches with both parents and teachers." Author: Temple Grandin, author of The Autistic Brain and The Way I See It
"An excellent book that conveys what autism is like and how individu