1st Edition

Asperger's Children Psychodynamics, Aetiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment

By Robin Holloway Copyright 2016
    266 Pages
    by Routledge

    266 Pages
    by Routledge

    The DSM-5 (2013) classifies all autism-related disorders, including Asperger's, under the heading "autism spectrum disorder." This book argues that this lumping together is unhelpful for clinicians. Instead, finer diagnostic distinctions are helpful to clinicians who treat children with Asperger's. This book spells out in detail the psychodynamics the author has repeatedly uncovered in Asperger's children, adolescents, and adults, and explores the central factors in the aetiology of Asperger's Disorder. There is a section suggesting how Asperger's can be adequately diagnosed from "the outside" (using external descriptive features) and more importantly from "the inside" (based on internal psychodynamic processes). Finally, there is a section outlining psychodynamic treatment approaches to Asperger's children, based on their psychodynamics and on which type of Asperger's is present. The book includes numerous case illustrations to help the reader appreciate the central psychodynamics that are regularly observed in Asperger's children, namely splitting of the self into victim and bully aspects, and projective identification into remote objects.

    Introduction , The Psychodynamics of Asperger's Children , Some clinical dialogues with Asperger's patients—Peter and Joe, age nine , Some clinical dialogues with Asperger's patients—Matt, age twelve , Some clinical dialogues with Asperger's patients—Thomas, age twelve , Some clinical dialogues with Asperger's patients—Thanos, age fourteen , Some clinical dialogues with Asperger's patients—Dan, age seventeen , Some clinical dialogues with Asperger's patients—Alan, age nineteen , Some clinical dialogues with Asperger's patients—Anthony, age thirty-one , The psychodynamics of Asperger's children , The anxieties and defences of Asperger's children , Defences in Asperger's children continued—should we call it splitting or dissociation? , Theorising about the Aetiology of Asperger's , Towards an understanding of the aetiology of Asperger's disorder , The sensory vulnerability of Asperger's children , The Diagnosis of Asperger's Children , The differential diagnosis of Asperger's children , Treatment Approaches to Asperger's Children , Thoughts about the treatment of Asperger's children , Treatment of Asperger's children—the Toronto experiment , Packing up, moving out, and bidding farewell

    Biography

    Robin Holloway