Development of the Making of Relationships with Specific Others in An Autistic Non-Speaking Child

Abstract

This study examined the development of the making of relationships with specific others in an autistic non-speaking child. Specific others mean attachment figures within the first year of a normal development. Case report was examined from 2 years 6 months to 6 years 11 months by mother's diaries, teacher's diaries and VTR records about activities in the nursery school for handicapped children. The results were as follows: (1) In an autistic non-speaking child's relationships with specific others, 3 levels were extracted: the intimate approach, the escape from anxiety, and the secure base to explore; (2) At the level of an intimate approach, the subject was aware of contingencies between the behavior and the emotion of pleasure-displeasure; (3) At the level of the escape from anxiety, the subject was aware of the existence of independent emotions and intentions of specific others; (4) At the level of the secure base to explore, the subject gave and took emotions and intentions with specific others. Concerning the viewpoint of multiple-attachment, the necessities of the making of relationships with specific others were discussed. © 1994, The Japanese Association of Educational Psychology. All rights reserved.