Autistic Barriers in Neurotic Patients

Frances Tustin

'[Tustin] deals very sensitively and sensibly with the knotty problem of parents' contribution to autistic development, providing a balanced interactive view which does not allocate blame. Her discussion of autistic objects and autistic shapes is illuminating and has widespread clinical applicability. This book is highly recommended reading.' - Mary Boston, British Journal of Medical Psychology'Finally I should say that it is written in a colloquial style and with a minimum of jargon which was the author's stated intention. Her ideas are expressed clearly and vividly with a refreshing lack of dogmatism. Anyone knowing the powerful impact these children can have on their therapist must pay tribute to the inner strength and security required to treat them with any degree of success.'- H.S. Klein, International Review of Psycho-Analysis'She deals very sensitively and sensibly with the knotty problem of parents' contribution to autistic development, providing a balanced interactive view which does not allocate blame. Her discussion of autistic objects and autistic shapes is illuminating and has widespread clinical applicability.This book is highly recommended reading.'- Mary Boston, British Journal of Medical Psychology'This is a significant book. There is much new thinking in it which will provide discussion for some time to come. To my mind it has another value. In many ways the work provides a complement to Bion's theory and with its graphical clinical description could well contribute to the better integration of his work into the sphere of child psychotherapy. Frances Tustin is not always aware how closely her work matches that of Bion but she was analysed by him and will not be surprised to find herself sharing with him so much that is both adventurous and compassionate.'- Sheila Spensley, Journal of Child Psychotherapy'In writing and publishing this book Tustin shows that the study of autism does not only help us to extend our understanding of the history of the nature and the quality of our perceptions and our reactions to the world, and to ourselves in the world, during the first few moments - seconds, minutes, hours or days - after our birth; it also helps us to understand, diagnose, del with and treat patients - child or adult - who present us with a wider spectrum of psychopathological conditions that we have been able to acknowledge and to comprehend.'- Rosemary Gordon, Journal of Analytical Psychology

• Foreword, Preface , Introduction , Psychogenic Autism , The nature of psychogenic autism: an overview , The growth of understanding : a personal statement , Thoughts on psychogenic autism with special reference to a paper by Melanie Klein , A significant element in the development of psychogenic autism , Situations which may precipitate psychogenic autism , Autistic objects , Autistic shapes exemplified in childhood psychopathology , Autistic shapes exemplified in adult psychopathology , Shapes associated with emergence from psychogenic autism , A glimpse into the world of an autistic child , Psychogenic autism in neurotic patients , Falling , Spilling and dissolving , The development of ‘I-ness’ , Anorexia nervosa in an adolescent girl , The rhythm of safety , Psychotherapy with psychogenic autistic states , Concluding Remarks