Guest guest Posted January 3, 2004 Report Share Posted January 3, 2004 I haven't seen any of those JKP offerings, but I recently read a sen's book (Asperger Syndrome & Psychotherapy). I was rather skeptical at first, and I still balk at any traces of " interventionism " wherever I might encounter them. But I must say, despite some reservations, I was very impressed with sen's focus on the actual " AS " perspective. Despite all the the behavior talk, she tirelessly lobbied parents, teachers, and professionals to take the approach of trying to set aside their own assumptions and try to understand the child's perspective. A few quotes: " From the perspective of neurotypicals, those with Asperger's can seem literal, concrete, and rigid. From the perspective of those with Asperger Syndrome, neurotypicals can be unclear, inexact people who do not say what they mean, and who expect you to know things they never tell you. " (p. 59) [Hip, hip, hoorah!] " ...a basic value in good parenting: know and accept the child you have for whom he is, and help him to exist in the world as it is. This is difficult enough. It is impossible to help a child to be something that is alien to him. " (p. 30) [Touché! Take *that*, Lord Rimland!] " I may have been looking for projection in our play, but what I got was information... Projective psychological testing presents a similar situation for children [or anyone] with Asperger Syndrome. The responses of these children are more likely to be concrete information about the stimulus than true projections of the self. It is important to me that psychologists who are testing the children I see be aware of that. If the percepts and stories these children produce are seen as projective, the child may be seen as disturbed in ways that are not accurate. " (p. 40) That last one resonated with me because it touched on a glaring set of errors on the part of " helping professionals " by which I have been boggled for years, namely, their persistent (habitual) attempt to apply conventional psychodynamics, to the detriment of one whose neurology and development may well be wholly incompatible with conventional models. Big Mistake. But sen spotted it. Cheers. The second half of the book is mostly about strategies for parents in dealing with educational and services issues. Admittedly, I only skimmed those parts. But the book, overall, is innocuous enough not to alarm the hard-core ABA/curebie crowd (I hope), while being genuinely " child-centered " enough (I hope) to sway newbie parents away from the " how do I fix my broken child " point of view. In the first half of the book, I don't recall that the subject of ABA came up at all. I'm hoping this was intentional on her part, for the sake of " getting in under the radar " , but I can't be sure. In any case, I think the book stands to do much more good than harm, as it may help some parents to wake up to the reality of the human being that is their child, and may help them to see just a little more of what damage could be done if they don't recognize that human being's perspective as a crucial component in meeting their needs. Maybe. I hope. :-) --DKM > These apparently have come out from JKP: > > http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php?isbn=1-84310-201-3 > http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php?isbn=1-84310-763-5 > > Has anyone read either of them? Do you know if they're any good? > > (I am still awaiting these: > > http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php?isbn=1-84310-152-1 > http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php?isbn=1-84310-182-3 > http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php?isbn=1-84310-211-0 > http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php?isbn=1-84310-228-5 > > despite the fact that I am quite worried about the accuracy of content > in one of them about a friend.) > > , who wishes she could afford to buy *lots of books* <grin> > > -- > " Day after day, they take some brain away, then turn my face around to > the far side of town. They tell me that it's real, then ask me how I > feel. " - Bowie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2004 Report Share Posted January 3, 2004 It's very important that one is told that one is expected to project. I mean, there's a difference between a Thematic Apperception Test and an Art History lesson. A good example would be the DVD " Tender Loving Care. " This is an excellent DVD, by the way. I recommend it to everyone. The story unfolds based on the viewer's responses to interviews and TAT's. One TAT involves a picture that I recognized quite instantly as being Leda and the Swan. They ask what the swan is, and my response was not a projection, simply because my knowledge kept me from doing so. Hell, the very first TAT is the painting " Nighthawks " by Hopper. They ask what the mood of the painting is, and one of the choices is " nostalgic. " Although my girlfriend chose that, I could not... simply because I knew enough about Hopper to know that he painted his pictures of life in the inter-war period *during* the inter-war period. Being familiar with his work as a whole, I answered " desolate " because that was the gestalt I got from all his paintings, taken together. Wow, I had no idea that my desire to play Hungry Hungry Hippos with my psychologist back when I was in the first grade actually meant anything " deep. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2004 Report Share Posted January 4, 2004 Dave quoted from a book: > " ...a basic value in good parenting: know and accept the child you >have for whom he is, and help him to exist in the world as it is. >This is difficult enough. It is impossible to help a child to be >something that is alien to him. " (p. 30) Ugh! " ...for WHOM he is.... " ??? Please! Somebody tell that woman that " to be " is a copulative verb! Otherwise, the book does sound as if it has a welcome perspective. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2004 Report Share Posted January 4, 2004 > Dave quoted from a book: > > " ...a basic value in good parenting: know and accept the child you > >have for whom he is, and help him to exist in the world as it is. > >This is difficult enough. It is impossible to help a child to be > >something that is alien to him. " (p. 30) > > Ugh! " ...for WHOM he is.... " ??? Please! Somebody tell that > woman that " to be " is a copulative verb! > > Otherwise, the book does sound as if it has a welcome > perspective. > > Jane :-D Okay, okay! Sheesh! Say, if you need some nits to pick, I've got a few thousand pages of proofreading I could use some help with... No? Awwww! :-) --DKM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.