Autistic States in ChildrenFrances Tustin (1913-1994) was one of the first professionally trained child psychotherapists in Britain. Although internationally recognised for her pioneering therapeutic work with autistic children, her approach is considered by some to be controversial, as her psychogenic view of childhood autism challenged the belief that it is biological and genetic. Autistic States in Children is widely regarded as a vitally important work for understanding the causes of autism in young children. Vividly describing her clinical encounters with autistic children, Tustin argued that autistic states were above all self-protective ones. In her observational studies, she noted how autistic children's interaction with physical objects, such as keys, toy cars, or other play items, had a rigid and ritualistic quality, far removed from the typical kind of fantasy play seen in other children. Such objects are not used by autistic children for their intended purpose, Tustin argued, but rather in sensation-dominated ways that interfere with mental development. She also drew a fundamental distinction between two autistic groups: an ‘encapsulated’ group, which is withdrawn and non-verbal, and an ‘entangled’ group, who are hyperactive and chaotic but have some language. Autistic States in Children influenced not only those in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis but countless others who have contact with autistic children, especially families, and remains essential reading for anyone seeking a creative and compelling understanding of autism. This Routledge Classics edition includes a new Foreword by Maria Rhode. |
From inside the book
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... 17 'Thinkings' 18 The struggles of an autistic child to develop a mind of his own 19 Autistic elements in neurotic disorders of childhood Concluding remarks Afterword References Index F LIST OF IGURES AND TABLES 2.1 'Mother and Child:
... (London, 1989), and for drawing my attention to Henry Moore's sculpture 'Mother and Child: Block Seat', reproduced by kind permission of the Henry Moore Foundation. I would also List of Figures and Tables Acknowledgements.
... mother and baby were thought to be unaware of any separateness or distance between them. Tustin had recognised that the clinical phenomena she was observing, in John and David for instance, could not readily be theorised in terms of the ...
... mother-infant interaction by such people as Daniel Stern (1985). She was always open to findings from other fields, and often said that working with autistic states had the integrating and beneficial effect of bringing together very ...
... mother was being interviewed by another member of staff. I will describe his reactions for the first fifteen minutes he was with me. I took him into my room where I had a small table and chair ready and some play materials in the ...
Contents
Autosensuous aspects of psychogenic childhood psychosis | |
Autogenerated encapsulation | |
Autistic objects | |
Confusional objects | |
The asymbolic nature of autosensuous states | |
Awareness in autistic states | |
Psychotherapy with autistic states in children | |
Transference phenomena in autistic states | |
16 | |
Thinkings | |
Confusional entanglement | |
Autosensuousness as a basis for classification of psychogenic childhood psychosis | |
Psychodynamics and treatment of autistic states | |
The pathological operation of autosensuousness | |
Psychological birth and psychological catastrophe | |
The struggles of an autistic child to develop a mind of his | |
Autistic elements in neurotic disorders of childhood | |
Concluding remarks | |
Index | |