abnormal lecture notes Autism Tommy.docx

2/23/10 Autistic disorder: Tommy -All human beings are the same: want to be loved, want to be close to others - No one is loved perfectly 1. Same principles of love and loss are the same for ALL human beings 2. No psychological disorder can be adequately understood, only biologically 3. Whatever biological treatment you want to offer- always offered in a psychological environment - need to be centered in this place in a caring way - Doctors with a certain attitude (a tone of voice-hostile) are likely to be sued by patient because people don?t want to feel shame. They don?t want to be talked down to With regard to autism, Symptoms: pg 145-146 DSM-IV pg 148 Diagnostic problems (controversy pg 156-157): Etiology-what is the cause pg 157 Vitkus gives a ?biogenic? explanation James-BOTH biogenic and psychological origins Europe has an narrow definition- aspergers -pg 157 quote: the best that can done is to say it?s a ?complex disorder with multiple etiologies? Pg 158 quote: ?no effective cure for autism exists at the present time. Educational training and behavior modification have shown some notable improvements in fostering living skills? Pg 150 primary focus: Basic life training to live in an independent life Factors: 1. Parental involvement 2 Immediate Feedback-reinforcement Pg 152 rewarding appropriate behavior, elimating inappropriate behavior Pg 153 behavorial shaping Outcome & Prognosis pg 155 some gains were made, outcome was poor, progress was poor Etiology/Cause Back then, cause of autism ( in the 50s-60s): psychogenicout of favor Today: In favor of biological explanations Pg 158 quote: ?epidemiologic surveys have failed to find any differences between parents of autism and parents of normal children? 3 Issues: A survey-self report People will not often tell the truth about themselves that will put them in a bad light Now aware of lying-they don?t consciously lie A problem of this research is that it?s a EXPERIMENTAL design Two types ?Between Groups? Design One kind of treatment for one group AND another kind of treatment for the second group Subjects Design Everyone gets BOTH conditions When it comes to love, the deal is in the details, the things that we do that cause trouble are the LITTLE THINGS All psychological disorders are also biological but a lot of people throw out the psychogenic part Pg 158 exam question: why does this happen? We don?t want to blame our parents in psychogenic theories. But this issue should not be blamed on someone- ALL HUMANS ARE ?ABNORMAL? It?s about how we can do better: No one is responsible IF we say it?s all biology The problem psychologically is the result of what happened in the past-reflects on past actions ?Everybody?s responsible, but nobody?s to blame? ?quote from family therapy Tommy in psychogenic approach: Pg 148 ?primary feature of autism is inability to form relationship and withdrawal into a private world Tyranny of the known: when we think we know something, we ten d to make the world fit into what we think is the world. We think we know and then we?re blinded to what is really there Essence of Love: EMPATHY Personal History: Parents-most inaccurate reporters Parents sad his problems were not that large but it grew TOMMY HAD LOSSES OF LOVE: Parents failed to be serious about Tommy?s disturbance Didn?t know what they were dealing with Failed to see his problem, instead they waited Put in Daycare at the age of 6 months big loss More destructive in daycare Required to leave daycare another loss 3 Went through 3 sitters AND a pediatric nurse *LACK OF EMPATHY/LACK OF ATTUNEMENT/LACK OF LOVE/LACK OF ENTERING THE CHILD?S WORLD - Even when they do seek help, they are motivated by his lack of intelligence, NOT BY HIS ODD BEHAVIORS Pg 159-160 what?s really not communicated in this story is the effect of having a kid like Tommy for the parents