"Uniquely Human" Author Barry Prizant,PhD, discusses Autism
- anwilner
- Sep 15
- 2 min read
Many thanks to Barry Prizant, PhD, for joining me on this episode of The Art of Medicine with Dr. Andrew Wilner!
Dr. Prizant is the author of “Uniquely Human” and co-host with Dave Finch of the highly successful “Uniquely Human “podcast.
Dr. Prizant has more than 50 years of experience working with people with autism. He began working with children with disabilities as a teenager and never stopped.
Dr. Prizant is one of the developers of the SCERTS (SC-social communication, ER-emotional regulation, TS-transactional support) model for children and adults with autism spectrum disorder and their families. He has authored 150 scholarly articles and chapters and frequently lectures on autism.
During our 45-minute discussion, Dr. Prizant defined autism and neurodiversity. He also addressed the apparent rising incidence of autism. We talked about the challenges that many people with autism face, as well as the fact that 10-15% possess “savant” abilities.
Dr. Prizant shared his perspective on ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy, which is often prescribed to newly diagnosed children with autistic spectrum disorder. He contrasted ABA therapy with DRBI (Developmental Relationship-Based Intervention), a therapeutic approach that fosters meaningful relationships in order to enhance communication skills. Dr. Prizant expressed concerns that many ABA therapists are not trained in child development and may not fully understand a child’s behavior.
We discussed Steve Silberman’s landmark book “Neurotribes,” perhaps the most comprehensive book on the history of autism ever written. I’ve read both “Uniquely Human” and “Neurotribes,” and highly recommend both of them. (“Uniquely Human” is an easier read, and I would start with that one!)
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