Psychic and linguistic constitution of a subject with autism spectrum disorder immersed in a family vulnerable by post-war immigration

Abstract

Introduction: this article presents the psychic and linguistic constitution of an autistic young man, from a post-war immigrant family, in which themes such as mourning, the transgenerational psychic constitution, and the presence of anxieties in the process come into question of the child development in a unique situation that is the presence of autism. Objective: to analyze the unique effects of immigration and multiculturalism in a case of autism and its therapeutic evolution. Method: longitudinal case study, which used a clinical diary and footage of sessions with observations of the development of R. from eighteen months to adulthood. As a therapeutic approach and analysis of results, contributions from the psychic constitution of psychoanalytic theory, and on linguistic development in an enunciative perspective, were used. Results: Multiculturalism posed a greater challenge to the process of language acquisition by the child with autism, while the consequent silence of the pain of grief, present in adults, hindered verbal exchange and delayed their psychic constitution. Autism, in turn, presented itself as qualitative disorders in communication, requiring greater investment on the part of its caregivers for the acquisition of language to take place, as it needed to be hooked for our culture. Conclusion: Given this situation, this clinical case demonstrates the importance of therapeutic support to the family and the continuous investment in subjectivity, considering and valuing the different cultural codes that make up the family nucleus.