Autism as a Defense Against the Outside World

The graduation paper “Autism as a defense against the outside world” explores the understanding of autism as a protective shell, through the consideration of the evolution of psychoanalytic thought on autism and the consolidation of the most important psychoanalytic theories in this field. The study consists of two chapters: theoretical and practical. In the theoretical part of the work, an attempt was made to systematize psychoanalytic concepts about autism. The starting point of the study was the works of Bleuler, Kanner, Asperger - the founders of the origin of the understanding of autism, who first introduced this concept. The theories of prominent psychoanalysts, whose ideas are still relevant in the field of autism research: Mahler, Meltzer, Klein, Tustin; as well as theories that did not directly aim to study autism, but are important for understanding the complex mental processes that may be prerequisites for its formation: Bion, Winnicott, Bick, Ogden, etc., were considered. The current classification of autism in psychiatry (ICD-11,DSM-5) was also reviewed; similarities and differences of autism with schizoid disorder and schizophrenia were discussed. In the empirical part, based on the theoretical concepts discussed, we analyze two cases that vividly illustrate the variety of possible forms of autism and autistic defense mechanisms. The first case is an analysis of a vignette from the long-term psychotherapy of an adolescent with early diagnosis of severe autism, published in the official journal of the Association of Child Psychotherapists. Of particular interest in the case study are the transformations that took place during therapy with the autistic object (camera), which from being isolating gradually becomes transitional, from being a shelter from feelings and protection from the world becomes a bridge to it, a tool to help build the psyche and a container for the patient's experience. The second case study is based on a study of Donna Williams' autobiographical data that illustrates her life with autism. The main sources of data were her book “No One Nowhere. The Surprising Autobiography of an Autistic Girl” and Denis Ribas' book ‘Autism: debates and evidence’. In terms of practical relevance, the materials and findings of this study will be useful for psychoanalytic psychotherapists working with people on the autism spectrum. This work may help to gain a deeper insight into the mechanisms underlying autism, as well as the value of psychoanalytic work using autistic objects, both for the purpose of diagnosis and for their possible transformation and, as a consequence, help in the development of the mental apparatus. Also, looking at autism not as a disease, but as a way for the psyche to protect itself, as a protective shell, can help to make the approach in therapy more gentle and empathic.