From Baby's Play to Child's Play: A Study on the Subjectivation Process of Autistic Children

ABSTRACT Could the primitive play of the baby reveal early traces of a probable autistic organization underway with the young child? To what extent the investment of the baby with regard to the objects of the external world and the environment could be associated with his first experiences with the maternal object? Such questions are addressed in this article, which main objective is to address the subjectivation process of autistic children, on basis of the relation between the early play of the baby and the symbolic play of the young child. Through a longitudinal study of infants showing risk of autism, it has been found that it is possible to detect at an early age peculiarities in the way they invest and interact with the objects of their environment.