MARTÃO, M. I. S. Filhos autistas e seus pais: um estudo compreensivo [Autistic children and their parents: a comprehensive study]. 163 p. Master’s Dissertation – Instituto de Psicologia da USP. São Paulo (SP), 2002.
Available on: https://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/47/47133/tde-06122006-163721/pt-br.php
This work was the investigation of possible implications between a couple’s dynamics and the relationship with their autistic child and the difficulties the parents have to establish a partnership with the therapist, thus helping the therapeutic process and the development of their child. Comprehensive Diagnoses were done (Trinca, 1983), with the aim of getting to know the psychodynamic aspects of the couples and their relationship with their autistic child. The theoretical base of the study is the psychoanalysis and the psychodynamic theories together with the clinical experience. Two methods were used: semi-directed interview and the procedure of Drawing-of-Family-and-Story Procedure (Trinca, 1978). The research was done in a Public Institution, specialized in treating autistic children, located in the city of São Paulo. There was also the voluntary participation of five couples, parents of autistic children, which meant an enormous contribution to the study. The results obtained after the data gathering were: – the parents lived emotional conflicts, environmental instabilities, and affective humiliation in their families of origin. – the emotional conflicts originated handicapped object relations, they were fragile and disturbed. – the emotional difficulties lived were obstacles to the emotional development of these parents and made impossible any kind of interaction with the autistic child. – some reactions of the autistic children, used as a way of trying to establish contact with their parents, are related to the focus of the conflict of the parents’ dynamics. – the parents’ emotional difficulties reflect in the development of the autistic child, due to the fact that the parents do not provide a live and human contact. We concluded that the parents we have studied present intense suffering demonstrating important emotional difficulties, needing to be treated as their autistic children do.