| Abstract: | This paper describes the 3½ -year treatment of an autistic toddler, who by age 5 showed normal social relationships and only minor residual cognitive features of the disorder. The treatment approach integrated infant-parent psychotherapy with techniques of special education and involved a two-person team that worked simultaneously in the family's home. The early work focused on discovering ways to mediate environmental stimulation so as to enhance the child's availability for social interaction. The treatment helped the parents understand this and explored and interpreted misconceptions about their son that interfered with parental feelings and functions. Multiple issues in the parent-child relationship and in the child's social and cognitive development eventually were addressed. This case illustrates one scenario in the development of relationships when an infant lacks the biological fittedness for social interaction. It demonstrates the possibility of ameliorating the autistic condition through a modification of infant-parent psychotherapy. The successful outcome of the case seems to be the result of several factors: The child's age at the beginning of treatment, his areas of cognitive strength, and his parents' exceptional ability to use and extend the therapy. |
