Valutazioni dell’organizzazione psichica in situazioni di stress psicofisico nella fascia 12-42 mesi
Roberto Carlo Russo, Susanna Russo
This research originates from the need for an early distinction of psychic organizations with significant communication disorders in the 12-42 month age bracket (as in autism spectrum syndromes) from language delay syndromes and / or psychomotor delays arising from different causes. Three groups were examined: autistic cases, 10 cases diagnosed by us; 30 cases with various diagnoses, including 17 with a presumed diagnosis of autism obtained by other professionals but not included in the identification of autism according to our type of evaluation; and 30 control cases of children with normal development. The comparison of data from the autistic group with data resulting from the presumed autism diagnosis group confirms a clear discrepancy in the score assigned to the two groups, with a significantly higher value for the latter group also confirmed by the control visits, such as to exclude a diagnosis of autism. The authors argue that in order to arrive at a correct diagnosis one should take into account a vast array of factors: knowledge of the timing for skills acquisition, ability to adapt to changing situations, orientation to stimuli, use of the body, type of playful activity the child is engaged in, acceptance of variables, tolerance to frustrations, type and mode of nutrition, and relationship with the observer. Such data is an essential tool that helps us to understand the child’s ways of relating to themselves, to objects and to others. Putting oneself in the perspective of the child’s experience is crucial in order to be able to access and understand one’s own reality. Whenever it is necessary to support a child’s development in very problematic situations, the child’s alarm response can manifest itself with a partial detachment from the reference models and lead to social isolation with autistic manifestations, which, in the initial phase, may be interpreted as a response to the stressful situation but later can be defined as autistic syndrome if the stress factors remain.
Keywords
Autism, Autism spectrum.
