Reference figures, the foundations of childhood
Every form of disharmony drives the child to develop protective reflexes that distance them from their original, perfect and harmonious model. Alongside this basic model exists an adapted, distorted version: attacks and microaggressions, through their accumulation, can very easily tip this small, sensitive being's neurobiological system out of balance.
Reference figures—particularly parents—then occupy a crucial place: they are the pillars of a stable, constant protective field. By forming a family microcosm with them, each member finds their rightful place and helps maintain the overall balance. These reference figures serve as our model for becoming who we are.
The child's brain, body and emotions call for intensive, precious support. We need only think of certain realities of our present society, often far from ideal, to appreciate how deeply they can disrupt prenatal and postnatal balance.
It is the therapist's role to trace these imbalances to their source. Faced with threats and disturbances, the child's metabolism adjusts to meet the danger, and their psyche adapts to prevent the worst.
On one side is the genetic terrain associated with the autistic spectrum; on the other, an environment and a society that have sometimes become mad and toxic for a hypersensitive child. Is it surprising that this has lasting consequences?
Yet a path of therapeutic restoration remains possible. Long and laborious, it nevertheless becomes achievable through commitment and appropriate methods. With the right information and suitable support, we can truly move forward.
No guide to good practice.
I admit it: I have made many mistakes myself for lack of adequate information and support. No manual details the right actions and timing, adapted to each age and situation, even though they are essential. So although I may now feel that my explanations are precise, the reality is quite different: I gained this experience through practice and direct observation.
My wife regularly reminds me: “How can you teach these principles to others when you haven't managed to get your own son away from his video game screen?” A warning that reminds me that the path towards balance remains a constant endeavour.
Here is a proposed rewrite in polished French, while retaining the original meaning:
What we perceive is not the world as it is, but a model of the world developed by our brain.
— Corine Sombrun, on brain function
The brains of autistic people construct representations that do not always correspond to reality. The purpose of these constructions is to produce a positive effect. The brain likes to analyse and imagine a universe from a combination of algorithms, images and concepts. Once this synthesis is complete, it can memorise the whole.
Depending on the stability of this brain function, the synthesis and conclusions can be completely wrong. This concerns every one of us. Moreover, we are susceptible to outside ideas. In some autistic people, this tendency can take these concepts very far, even though many seek an absolute, black-or-white truth down to the smallest details.
On the autistic spectrum, we observe great differences between those whose brains are highly analytical, almost scientific, and those whose creative minds can project very detailed images, or even glimpse the future. Developing intuition then becomes a major asset.
What we must remember is that the biochemical functioning of the autistic brain can confer exceptional abilities, but can also generate particularly disabling disorders. In all cases, it is essential to quickly regain our framework of reference points and emerge from this “out-of-the-ordinary” state in a pragmatic, soothing way. Carl Jung called this “finding your point of reference”.
Finally, trance—a state of great cerebral receptivity—is also easily accessible to most autistic people.