Children's Language Development
Although there has been surprisingly little systematic research into language development in blind children, what evidence there is suggests that language problems of various kinds are common amongst the blind child population, and that relative delays and language difficulties are particularly marked in the early stages (see Urwin, 1979). This is in line with what one might expect from the sighted child literature. More specifically, this... more
This paper describes a theoretical framework for elucidating developmental issues of young children presenting with marked autistic features where a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder is eventually rejected after intervention. Where others have implicated the role of trauma in the child in some cases of autism, this study highlights the potential contribution of traumatic features in the parents’ backgrounds aberrant development and the... more
This paper engages in debates about the nature of autistic spectrum disorder with a theoretical model the ‘extreme male brain’ theory of autism, put forward by Simon Baron-Cohen. In doing so it aims to clarify what is distinctive about the child psychotherapy approach to ASD. After outlining the Baron-Cohen approach and appreciating the evidence involved, the paper raises three issues, and recasts his interpretation of the evidence in terms... more
