Paradoxes in the clinical treatment of autistic and psychotic children: experiences using practices shared by many

Abstract

This article attempts to address the use of practices shared by many, in light of the paradoxes inherent in treating autistic and psychotic children. These practices shared by many are defined as work leading to a joint construct of a case, produced by a number of professionals and the child. It is different from a team approach, in which individuals take a direction in line with their own specialtys understanding of the child. Instead, practices shared by many follow an ethic emptied of interpretations. The path taken by the clinic covers a range extending from the childs jouissance to its linkages with words, within a broadened concept of a symptom. Symptoms are viewed as something the child has invented within the context of work in the institution.