A psychoanalytic approach to language delay: When autistic isn't necessarily autism

This paper describes family work with four children from different ethnic backgrounds presenting with autistic features in the context of delayed or deviant language development and, in one case, elective mutism. It begins by describing how psychoanalytic approaches to language development have tended to see the process as underpinned by symbol formation as a compensation for loss of the object. This is contrasted with an approach which, following Bion, emphasizes language development as an aspect of a broad process concerned with enabling emotional experience to become thought. I also emphasize the significance of the survival and development of the self in achieving separation. In the case studies, the paper highlights the degree of trauma in the parents' backgrounds, which had impeded them from containing their children's developmental anxieties. The parents' telling their stories was both valuable to them and enabled them to become more emotionally available to their children. In all cases the work promoted language development and autistic features disappeared or waned considerably after relatively brief intervention. The conclusions discuss the relevance of these findings to the autistic child population, and the value of child psychotherapy to differential diagnosis within the autistic spectrum.     

Links Between Perception of Parental Actions and Prosocial Behavior in Early Adolescence

We analyzed the links between parental styles, practices, and empathy and specific forms of prosocial behaviors in early adolescence. The Argentine scale of perception of relationships with parents for children and young adolescents, prosocial tendencies measure, parenting practices measure, and children’s perception of parental empathy were administered to a sample of 289 middle class children, aged 10–16, of both sexes, from primary and secondary schools in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Correlations and hierarchical regressions were used to examine (1) relationships between parental styles, children’s perception of parental empathy, parental practices, and children’s prosocial behavior, (2) the amount of unique prediction from parental styles, children’s perception of parental empathy, and parental practices to children’s prosocial behavior. Results indicated that different aspects of parental actions (parental styles, practice, and empathy) have a differential relation according to the type of prosocial behavior involved. When taking these three kinds of parental behavior into account, parental styles are related to public and responsive aspects especially through extreme control by the mother. Parental practices, in turn, are related mainly with anonymous and altruistic aspects, but with this latter negatively. Finally, adolescents’ perception of parental empathy explains added variance in all the cases, though to a lesser extent.     

The narrative worlds of what is and what if

This paper advances the hypothesis that young children use narrative play and stories to construct two types of fiction, the worlds of what is and what if. Heinz Werner's conceptualization of children's spheres of reality, in which actions, symbols, and events are constructed in particular ways, is used as a theoretical framework for understanding children's play and stories. Drawing on examples of children's spontaneous pretend play and story telling, the paper argues that, beginning in their second year, children use pretend play to differentiate the worlds of everyday-lived reality from an alternative pretend sphere; the world of as if. By their third year, children engage in play which hangs on a narrative framework. Such pretend play offers children further options: the fictional world of plausible make believe which simulates everyday life, what is, and the fictional world of more fantastic possibilities, what if. While the child's use of a narrative framework in her pretend play expands her range of psychological worlds, the developmental shift to purely verbal stories, sometimes during the child's third year, significantly adds to her ability to explore such worlds. An examination of the language young children use to accompany their narrative play and to tell stories demonstrates the ways in which children exploit the narrative form to contrast, compare, and traverse the constructed worlds of what is and what if.     

Family influences on dysfunctional thinking in anxious children

Anxious children are found to interpret ambiguous stories in a negative way. The current study attempted to examine the possible influence of parental fear and parental interpretation bias on the maintenance of such an interpretation bias. Children varying in level of anxiety (n=25) and their parents, filled in a questionnaire to measure their own fears, and gave their interpretations concerning nine ambiguous stories, relevant for childhood ‘interactional’ anxieties: social anxiety, separation anxiety, and generalized anxiety. Then, parents were asked to talk with their children about three of the stories. After the family discussion the children had to give their final interpretations. Results indicated that parents' self‐reported fear level and interpretation bias were associated with children's interpretation bias before the family discussion. However, no evidence was found for the idea that parents maintain or enhance the interpretation bias of their children. That is, irrespective of parental fear and parental interpretation bias, children interpreted the ambiguous stories as less negative after discussing them with their parents. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phenotypic profiles of language-impaired children based on genetic/family history

Although etiological influences in developmental language impairment (dysphasia) are not well defined, a significant increase of family aggregation for the disorder has been reported. We report data from a large cohort of language-impaired (LI) children participating in the San Diego longitudinal study in which we examined whether children with or without positive family histories show different phenotypic profiles. Due to the longitudinal design of the study, questions pertaining to change over time are also addressed. Second, a subgroup of the most impaired children were reevaluated to obtain additional information pertaining to family history and phenotypic outcome. Approximately 70% of the LI children met criteria for inclusion as family history positive, with fathers reporting a history of language or learning problems one and a half to two times as frequently as mothers. LI children with or without a positive family history were not significantly different on language skills or IQ. However, subjects having a positive family history for developmental language/learning problems were significantly lower in socioeconomic status and were rated by parents and teachers as having more attention-related behavior problems than their family history negative counterparts. Similarly, family history positive LI children performed more poorly on standardized academic tests as well as on tests of auditory processing and attention.     

Correlates of sociometric status in school children in Buenos Aires

Teacher ratings on Spanish translations of the Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scale for Children and peer nominations were obtained for 110 school children (42 boys and 68 girls) in grades 2– 5 at a public elementary school in Buenos Aires. Nominations of likes best were negatively correlated with language processing deficits, attention problems, and sluggish tempo as rated by both teachers and peers, and positively correlated with teacher ratings of social competence, for both boys and girls. The reverse pattern was found for nominations of likes least. Children were assigned to sociometric status groups of popular (n=27), rejected (n=28), neglected (n=7) controversial (n=11), and average (n=37) based on number of LL and LB nominations. Rejected and popular children could be differentiated by teacher and peer ratings of linguistic information processing deficits, inattention, and sluggish tempo. Behavioral characteristics of motor hyperactivity, impulsivity, and aggression were significantly associated with being male but did not differ by sociometric status group.The assistance of Claudia Colon, Educational District of Buenos Aires, and Viviana Smith, Department of the Interior, Argentina, in the translation of measures is gratefully acknowledged. Particular thanks are also extended to the teachers and personnel of Escuela Normal 9 — Domingo F. Sarmiento.     

Conceptual resistance in the disciplines of the mind: the Leipzig-Buenos Aires connection at the beginning of the 20th century

Personal correspondence written by Prof. Felix Krueger from Argentina in 1906-1907 to his teacher and mentor Wilhelm Wundt in Leipzig is situated in the historical context of the theoretical debates taking place at the University of Buenos Aires at the beginning of the 20th century. A critical survey of the transatlantic migration of psychological theories and their reception in Argentina raises the broader issues of the nature of the cultural and social roots of local interpretations induced by the circulation of theories across national fields of scientific inquiry. It is argued that national intellectual fields and the historicity of their categories of interpretation mediate in the foreign trade of theories.     

Relationship between Family Functioning and Possible Selves in Adolescents from Argentina

Abstract

The goal of this study was to analyze the relationship between different family functioning types and the content, valence, and structure of adolescents’ possible selves (PSs). Participants were adolescents (n?=?392) of both genders (female = 54.9%) from private and catholic high schools in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina (age, M?=?14.92, SD?=?1.52). We performed a cluster analysis to explore family functioning profiles in terms of communication with parents, promotion of challenges, family cohesion, and flexibility. In order to study family functioning type and PSs content association, we performed a chi-squared test. To study family functioning type differences in PSs valence and structure we conducted a one-way MANOVA. The chi-squared test indicated that there was no significant association between family functioning type and adolescents’ PSs spontaneous content. On the other hand, the MANOVA revealed the existence of significant differences in PSs valence between each type of family functioning group. In regard to the structure of PSs, there were no significant differences between family functioning types. In conclusion, adolescents who perceived positive family functioning have more positive PSs. Family functioning type was not related to PSs content and structure.     

Christian Stewardship in Light of a Theology of the Cross1

Abstract : The article translates a keynote address delivered in Spanish at the November 2007 “Life and Mission” special assembly of the United Lutheran Evangelical Church in Argentina, held in Buenos Aires. Departing from Jesus' “giving it all away on the cross,” it lays a cruciform foundation for a Christian theology of abundant generosity, and offers practical implications for stewardship leaders.     

Commonalities in Values Among Mental Health Counselors

Mental health counselors (N = 161) from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who ascribed to distinct theoretical orientations were surveyed with regard to their personal and mental health values. Although on theoretical grounds value differences among counselors professing divergent orientations seem plausible, the empirical literature has failed to support these differences. What has been supported is a sizably shared professional culture characterized by a values profile beyond theoretical orientation. This article provides further empirical input on what the values commonalities are even among counselors who profess distinct theoretical orientations and have a different national origin from prior samples. Implications for clients are discussed.     

Imaging Bodies, Imagining Relations: Narratives of Queer Women and “Assisted Conception”

This article is based on ethnographic research conducted between 1998 and 2000 in British Columbia, Canada. In this article Luce brings together the narratives of queer women she interviewed about their experiences of trying to become parents with her own stories about doing the research. Both sets of stories explore the ways in which relationships between people are reproduced and represented through images of sexuality, reproduction, queerness, parents, and families. Shifting between telling about the tensions she experienced while doing ethnographic fieldwork and retelling women's stories about how their relationships to partners, fetuses, babies, and donors were perceived, the article draws attention to both political and methodological questions.     

Parents’ Autobiographical Narratives: Setting Events for Their Contemplation of Mindful Changes

The ability to tell a coherent and rich story about one’s personal life is an important marker of an individual’s capacity and willingness to contemplate personal change. We review research on correlations between the coherence of parents’ narrative accounts of life experiences and their responsiveness during interactions with their children. Based on this review, we explore ideas about the nature of narrative coherence, how parents might be taught to improve this structural feature when telling their stories, and why a well constructed story might enhance the parents’ objective study of the here and now. We discuss how the effects of narrative restructuring may enable parents to be more cognitively mindful of their interactions with their children. We present our speculations in the spirit of promoting discussion of new clinical strategies for parents and new research strategies aimed at experimental analyses of observed connections between parent narratives and their willingness to contemplate personal change.     

Development of Academic Skills from Preschool Through Second Grade: Family and Classroom Predictors of Developmental Trajectories

Children's experiences with their parents and teachers were related to the acquisition of academic skills from preschool through second grade. Individual and group growth curves were estimated, and individual patterns of change were predicted from selected demographic, family, and classroom characteristics to identify multiple pathways to early academic competence. Standardized assessments of language and academic skills and parent and teacher surveys were collected on 511 children beginning in the second-to-last year of child care through the third year of elementary school. As expected, children tended to show better academic skills across time if their parents had more education and reported more progressive parenting beliefs and practices. Statistical interactions between family background and teacher-child relationships indicated that a closer relationship with the teacher was positively related to language skills for African-American children and to reading competence for children whose parents reported more authoritarian attitudes. These results provide further evidence that social processes in classrooms are important for academic competence for children considered at risk for academic problems.     

Promoting Honesty: The Influence of Stories on Children's Lie‐Telling Behaviours and Moral Understanding

Moral stories are a means of communicating the consequences of our actions and emphasizing virtuous behaviour, such as honesty. However, the effect of these stories on children's lie‐telling has yet to be thoroughly explored. The current study investigated the influence of moral stories on children's willingness to lie for another individual. Children were read one of three stories prior to being questioned about an accidental wrongdoing: (1) a positive story, which emphasized the benefits of being honest; (2) a negative story, which outlined the potential costs of lying; and (3) a neutral story, which was unrelated to truth‐telling or lie‐telling. Initially, most children withheld information about the event. Older children were better able to maintain their lies throughout the interview. However, when asked direct questions, children in the positive story condition were more likely to tell the truth than those in the negative and neutral conditions. No significant differences were found between the negative and neutral story conditions. The present study also investigated the relationship between children's conceptual understanding and behaviour. The findings revealed that children's knowledge of truths and lies increased with age. Children who lied had significantly higher conceptual scores than those who did not lie. Furthermore, the type of story children were read had a significant impact on their evaluations of true and false statements. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Establishment of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Argentina

Although Argentina is well known for the popularity of psychoanalysis, in recent years the field of psychotherapy has been expanded to include cognitive behavioural therapy. At present, cognitive behavioural therapy has become much more common in universities and postgraduate educational programmes in Argentina. This work aims to describe the development of cognitive behavioural therapy in Argentina. First, we will depict some general characteristics of psychology in Argentina. Then, we will refer to the first cognitive behavioural therapists in Argentina, highlighting the trajectories of the local main figures, and the events that paved the road for the development of this model in Argentina, such as the visit of Hans Eysenck to Buenos Aires, the impact of Aaron T. Beck's work, and the presence of Vittorio Guidano. Then, we will describe the various institutions that, in the 1990s, established the Argentinian Cognitive Therapies Association. Finally, we will describe the current development of cognitive behavioural therapy in Argentina, and analyse its characteristics and the challenges of local culture.     

Gender Differences in Family Stories: Moderating Influence of Parent Gender Role and Child Gender

One hundred and twenty families and their 4-year-old children participated in a study on family stories. The participants were primarily White (91%), with the remainder Black (4%), Hispanic (2%), and Asian (2%). The parents were primarily middle class and upper class, with approximately 5% identifying themselves as from a lower socioeconomic background. Parents were asked to tell their son or daughter stories about when the parent was growing up. All parents completed measures of child behavior and a subset of parents completed the Bem Sex Role inventory. Stories were coded for the strength of affiliation, achievement, and autonomy themes. No gender differences were found for parents or child in the strength of affiliation themes. Fathers told stories with stronger autonomy themes than did mothers, and sons were more likely to hear stories with themes of autonomy than were daughters. An interaction was found between gender type of parent and gender of child for strength of achievement theme. Traditional gender-typed parents told stories with stronger achievement themes to their sons, and nontraditional gender-typed parents told stories with stronger achievement themes to their daughters. Exploratory analyses were conducted examining the relations among story theme, parent gender type, and child behavior. Higher levels of externalizing behaviors were found in boys whose fathers endorsed strong masculine attitudes, but told stories with weak achievement themes. Higher levels of internalizing behaviors were found in girls whose mothers told stories with strong affiliation themes, but endorsed weak feminine attitudes. Family stories are proposed to be one aspect of socialization that includes an interaction between child and parent characteristics.     

Parent reports of child behavior problems: Bias in participation

This paper compares the characteristics of 274 children whose parents agreed to provide information about their children's functioning in research with children whose parents did not. Parents had provided permission for child participation in school-approved research. Measures included self-, peer, teacher, and parent ratings. Parents of minority children were less likely to participate than parents of nonminority children. Among nonminorities, children of parent participants were viewed as more socially skilled and liked by their peers; teachers rated them as having less attention problems, less depression, and better academic skills than children of nonparticipating parents. Among minorities, no differences emerged. Implications for research involving the use of parent ratings are discussed.Portions of this paper were presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, Sarasota, Florida, February 1992. The authors appreciate the efforts of Shari Wasserstein in assisting with the organization of the data. The authors also appreciate the helpful comments of two anonymous reviewers.     

‘I didn't violent punch him’: parental accounts of punishing children with mental health problems

This paper examines the ways in which parents attending family therapy report how they discipline their children. The children are reported to have mental health problems and by the nature of their disorders present challenging behaviours. Within the family therapy setting, parents account for their methods of punishment which includes threatening, punching, hitting and smacking with belts. They report desires to inflict physical damage upon the child, contrast their punishment strategies against the extremeness of the child and co‐construct the essential and necessary nature of the discipline. Investigating parental perspectives has wider implications for child discipline and child protection and the growing social impact of discipline techniques for policy‐makers.