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5 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely compassionate & articulate child autism analysis, 15 Feb 1999
By A Customer
Bettelheim is a member in good standing with other such modern, radical, psychological visionaries as Erich Fromm, Alice Miller, Viktor Frankl, Sydney Jourard, and probably Freud (whom I don't know in significant depth). This enormous treatise (1)exaustively reviews the clinical/diagnostic/theoretical literature, (2) extensively develops its own symptomalogical framework and treatment protocol, and (3) painstakingly relates 3 major case studies from their in-patient ("Orthogenics") treatment facility. These case studies include detailed histories of the child patients before admittance, parents, as well as their family environments.Although this is not clear from the beginning, essentially Bettelheim comes down hard on the "nurture" as opposed to "nature" side of this issue. Of course this must be so due to the rehabilitative (as opposed to coping strategies) approach of his treatment program. Furthermore, he provides some compelling evidence for this in the form of identical twins with only one expressing autism. The most difficult aspect to swallow is his belaboring of symbols (Freudian-like), such as light bulbs and spheres for breasts. Also, his patients are often so corroborative of these, that you are concerned of their having been coerced or coached. However, over-developed though they seem, they ultimately seem consistent. I am at a loss to explain the caustic rebukes he has received. Outside of being egotistical and possibly somewhat over-bearing professionally, I cannot doubt his compassion, insight, and Hippocratic-oath respectfulness. I think that his book gets to the heart of vastly institutionalized (and probably genetically determined) mis-parenting. I highly recommend this book, though more-so to children than parents.
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by Temple Grandin
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