Uniquely Normal Manual: Using The Bernstein Cognitive Methods for Autism

by Robert J. Bernstein

Overview

This manual is the companion guide to Uniquely Normal: Tapping the Reservoir of Normalcy to Treat Autism. It is a guide to using the Bernstein Cognitive Method for Autism (BCMA, or Bernstein Method).

Rob teaches us the commonsense approach and uses everyday situations to help children with autism progress with language, socialization, and organization. You don’t need a graduate school education to use this method; you have all the knowledge and skills you need. You already know how to do everything necessary to make a difference for your child.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781949177978
Publisher:	Future Horizons, Inc.
Publication date:	01/03/2023
Pages:	100
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Robert J. Bernstein has been treating children on the autism spectrum for more than 30 years. He shepherded his son, who is on the spectrum, through college and graduate school and on to a successful career in computer electronics. He consults for numerous organizations, including the National Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies, and was publicly acclaimed for pioneering table tennis as a means to facilitate social interaction among young people with autism. His work with a previously nonverbal child whom he helped learn to speak was documented in the New York Times. He has appeared on Dateline NBC; national radio; hosted the "Educating Your Child" radio show; and conducted dozens of seminars and presentations. Rob received his graduate training at Teachers College Columbia Universityand lives in Westchester County, New York.

Read an Excerpt

My working definition of flow is to either use a naturally occurring real-life activity that involves language, or create such an activity to capture and exploit moments of optimal experience. Both options enhance learning by inserting verbal interactions into moments of deep engagement and helping children create connections between words and what they are experiencing.  

The first option involves using a situation that you find yourself in––a trip to the zoo, visiting Grandma, opening the refrigerator––and applying techniques to exploit your child’s moments of flow. The second option involves setting up situations designed to engage your child and create moments of flow, and using the sample dialogs in this manual to address the child’s needs. My intention is for you to capture perhaps one educational moment each day that is perfectly suited to your child, and pursue it as long as the child allows the flow to continue. How long is that? It depends on the moment and the child.

Table of Contents

Foreword xi

Introduction xv

Exercises and Activities for Thinking and Organizing Thoughts 1

Candle and beaker: Thinking about cause and effect 2

Rings on a post: Self-correction; big and small 4

Helium balloons: Solving a problem together; planning; sequential thinking; expressing choices 6

Magic tricks: Organizing thinking; verbal self-direction; verbal expression 8

Exercises and Activities for Eliciting and Organizing Language 11

Put words into the child's mind 13

Have the child fill in words as you read aloud 15

Have the child fill in words as you speak 16

Have the child fill in words as you sing, and sing with the child 17

Use movement to elicit language 19

Therapeutic car ride 20

Exercises and Activities Developing Flexibility 23

Seeing things from another person's point of view 24

Overcoming perseveration 29

Waiting to take turns 31

Overcoming inflexibility in highly verbal children/young adults 33

Conclusion 37

Acknowledgments 43

About the Author 45

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Without exception, Rob Bernstein’s work with these patients has markedly improved their ability to function effectively with others. He has a unique ability to engage with people, gently yet firmly coaxing them into the wider world, often for the first time. Once there, he guides them toward claiming their competence and channeling their untapped strengths. I stand behind Rob Bernstein’s techniques without reservation." —Ram Kairam, MD, Developmental Neurologist, Former Professor of Neurology at the Columbia UniversityMedical Center

"Bernstein has mapped out a practical path for parents to increase the skills and independence of kids on the autism spectrum while respecting their ways of experiencing the world, supporting their autonomy, and avoiding the traumatizing methods of ABA and other purely behavioral approaches." - Steve Silberman, author, NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity

"You’re not your typical therapist, you think outside the box, which is great because John is not your typical Asperger’s. He’s unique in his way, and you’re unique in your way." - Coleen O’Rourke, Parent, Eastchester, NY