Autism & Feelings of Distance
In these 7 chapters we will explore different experiences of emotional distance in our relationship with a child with autism or autistic-like behaviours. What is going on unconsciously in the inner world, – the child’s and our own? How can the adult respond to promote the child’s overall mental-emotional development?
I am going to describe 2 ways of emotional distance, and 3 different ways of emotional closeness as points of orientation to support our feelingful observation. Taking the temperature of emotional distance as a measurement for emotional contact we will observe and ask ourselves:
Does the sense of emotional distance make it feel as if the child is
- a long way from me?
- against me?
- with me, but fake or false with me?
- with me in different ways?
- with me in a mechanical way like a robot?
- with me in a genuine way and being ‘real with me’
- How can we reach the child emotionally?
