TRANSITIONAL OBJECTS AND AUTISTIC OBJECTS: DID YOU CREATE THAT OR

Did you find it?

María Paulina Hauser1

Introduction:

This document was created with the aim of facilitating the study by
students regarding the differences presented by objects
transitional, expected in early psychological development, and the objects
autistic individuals, objects of psychopathology.

These differences are important for early detection.

in the child's development, when a normal use of an object can lead to a
pathological use of it, taking into account that what is important is not the object in
yes, but the use that the child makes of it.

Definition of object:

The notion of object is considered in psychoanalysis under three aspects.

main ones, according to Laplanche and Pontalis in their "Dictionary of
Psychoanalysis (1996):
a) As a correlate of the drive: it is that in which and through which the
The drive seeks to achieve its end, that is, some degree of satisfaction. It can
it is about a person, a partial object, a real object, or an object
fantasized.
b) As a correlate of love: it concerns the relationship of the whole person, or of the
instance of the self, with an object that is pointed to as totality.
c) In the traditional sense of philosophy and the psychology of knowledge,
as a correlate of the subject that perceives and knows: it is what is offered with

fixed and permanent characters, recognizable by their universality of the

subjects, regardless of the desires and opinions of the
individuals.
Although the word object in psychoanalytic literature appears in
numerous expressions, this should not evoke the idea of 'thing', of object

1
Intern Student in Teaching at the Chair of Psychopathology II (psychoanalytic orientation). Supervised by the
Responsible teachers: Lic. Teresita Ana Milán and Lic. Laura Amelia Guiñazú. Year 2007.

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inanimate and manipulable, which is commonly contrasted with the ideas of being
live or by person.

Transitional object:

It is a term introduced by D. W. Winnicott to designate an object

material that has an elective value for the infant and the small child.
Winnicott (1958) introduced the terms 'transitional objects' and
"transitional phenomena" to designate the intermediate zone of experience, between
the thumb and the little bear, between oral eroticism and the true object relation, between
the primary creative activity and the projection of what has already been introjected,
between the primary ignorance of the debt and the recognition of it.
From this, it is that the baby's babbling and the way the older child
repeat a song while getting ready for sleep they are located in this area
intermediate, as transitional phenomena, along with the use of objects that do not
they are part of the child's body even if they are not fully recognized yet
as belonging to the external reality.
Winnicott considers it important to study the nature of the object; the
child's ability to recognize the object as a 'non-self'; the location of the
object: inside, outside, at the limit; the child's ability to create, devise,
imagine, produce, originate an object; and the initiation of a kind affectionate type of
object relationship.
However, the author emphasizes that it is clear that the transitional is not the
object, but it represents the passage that the child makes from one state to
that is merged with the mother, to another in which it maintains with her a
relationship as something external and separate.

This author suggests that between four and twelve months, it is common
observe that the children have already acquired one or more soft objects, such as
it can be a piece of wool, the corner of a bedspread, a teddy bear, or a doll
of cloth, that sucks, squeezes against itself and is very important to him
child and essential especially at bedtime.
The fact of turning to this type of object constitutes, according to the author, a
normal phenomenon that allows the child to make the transition between the first
oral relationship with the mother and the 'true object relations'.

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 This object retains its value for a long time, only to then go
gradually losing their importance. However, they can reappear more.
afternoon especially when a phase of depression approaches or in front of a
threat of deprivation.
The author suggests that it is very common for the child to go to sleep clinging to the

object that he refers to as transitional, while sucking his thumb or

caress the upper lip or the nose. The thumb inside the mouth and the object in the
They simultaneously symbolize a part of the self and a part of the environment.

It is important to emphasize that there is no noticeable difference between the

girls and boys in their use of the first possession 'non-self'.
At the same time, it can be observed that when the child starts to use
sounds, a word may appear to name the object, usually that
the name given is important for the child, and can contain part of
a word used by adults.
These objects represent partial objects, especially the chest, and are
very valuable as it is the first intermediate object between the self and the world
external. They represent the passage from pure subjectivity to objectivity.
On the other hand, it is important to compare the concept of object.
transitional object of Winnicott with the internal object of M. Klein.
The transitional object is not an internal object, it is a possession, but for the
Child is not an external object.
Only if the inner object is alive, is real and good enough, the
the child will be able to use a transitional object. When this internal object ceases to

to have meaning for the baby, due to the characteristics of the object's insufficiency
exterior, only then does the transitional object also become meaningless.
Transitional objects and phenomena belong to the realm of
illusion that forms the basis of the initiation of the experience. This appears
thanks to the ability of the mother to adapt almost exactly to the
baby's needs, allowing the illusion to be forged that it
that he believes exists in reality.

While Winnicott emphasizes the normality of phenomena

transitional, these can be affected by various circumstances and give
place to a pathology.

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 This can happen when the mother, or any other person of the
the child depends, is absent for an excessively long period
prolonged. This can lead to the internal representation dissipating.
mother, what allows the child to tolerate that absence.
When this happens, transitional phenomena lose little by
little sense and the baby cannot experience them. In the face of this, the child can
make an exaggerated use of the transitional object as a way to deny the
danger of separation.
This idea does not introduce the other concept that is intended to be worked on.

here: autistic objects.

Autistic object:

Early childhood autism was described by Kanner (1943). There is a

a wide variety of causes, types, and degrees of autism, with the fundamental trait being
of all of them the absence of a primary basic relationship between the mother and the
baby.
Tustin (1988) suggests that a form of psychogenic autism arises
when a certain type of baby is cared for in their earliest infancy by a
depressed mother.
For these children, this lack of response from the mother is so
traumatic that even when she recovers her joy for life, the child is already so
unreachable and encapsulated in his autistic practices.
They have blocked their ability for gaming and relationships.
The loss of the illusion of a connection that is always present with the
mother who breastfeeds them has represented the halt of development in the most
early stage of the grieving process. The anger due to disappointment has been
unbearable because it was not sufficiently understood or received, and therefore
seems to have exploded inward against the child.
The autistic child is absorbed in his practices, which is what the
author describes as autistic objects and figures.
This concept was proposed by Tustin (1989) to refer to
a phenomenon she observed in her work with autistic children. She noticed that these
children persevere in the use of certain objects, peculiar to each child

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individual, according to modalities dominated by sensation, which prevent their
mental and emotional development. He called them autistic objects.
These objects are either parts of the child's own body or parts.
from the outside world experienced by the child as if they were his body.
The children who use autistic objects such as the snail, the car,
mechanical objects and the hand of another person, have a greater sense of
physical separation. These children have undergone a shock that has induced in them
an exacerbated sense of physical separation, and they act upon a deep
dichotomy between the 'self' and the 'non-self'. Autistic objects allow for the maintenance of

distance to the threatening 'non-self', and possess an abnormal and pathological character.

Safety is the main function of these hard autistic objects.

The objects used in this way are derived from parts of the child's body.
that were originally used as protectors. They were things like the tongue
rolled up, the flesh of her cheeks bunched together, hard stools in the anus. Then
they are external objects experienced as parts of the body, which take the
protective role. They are 'I' objects that help the child feel that they exist and
that their 'continued existence' is assured. These objects keep out of the
awareness of what is felt as the dangerous 'not-self', which seems to threaten
both its existence and its security.
The hard autistic objects replace the chest and block the
the awareness of a mother who feeds. These patients have replaced the
mother permanently.

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 Comparison between transitional objects and autistic objects:

After making a brief summary of the main characteristics

from transitional objects and autistic objects, we can make a series of
comparisons between both.

Transitional objects (Winnicott) Autistic objects (Tustin)

First non-self possession of the child.
They are my elemental possessions. No
they are objects of sociability, such as
It involves a mixture of the 'I' and 'not-I', of
transitional object.
the boy has a dark conscience.
It is a barrier to the 'non-self' because
It is a bridge to the 'non-self'.
blocks the apprehension of a reality
what I could share with other beings
humans.

Transitional objects like teddy bears and autistic objects are peculiar for
Comforting rags resemble each child.
in the use of many children.

They replace the chest. They have supplanted

They are representatives of the mother's breast.
the mother.
They allow the child to tolerate waiting, endure the inability of the autistic child to
the frustration caused by the absence tolerating the loss led him to obsessive use
from the mother, for some time. of objects that are experienced as if
Allows the child to wait until they are body parts. They provide a
let it happen a satisfaction more almost instant satisfaction and sidestep the
appropriate and authentic. delay.
There is a promiscuity in its use. The
The object should not change unless it
I changed the baby myself.
objects are used, discarded and
replaced.
The object is cradled with affection, and to the
For the child, an autistic object is
primarily a sensation. The
same time loved and mutilated with
observer discerns differences in
excitement. The baby seems to radiate objects that are everything to the child
heat, that moves or possesses certain
identical; this only distinguishes them by
texture, what makes something appear
to demonstrate that it possesses a vitality or a
reference to the sensations that it
they produce as if they touch their
own realities.
body.
Between four and twelve months, it is
It is common to observe that children have Ladurez is a characteristic trait. This
gives the child the feeling that it
acquired one or several soft objects
keeps safe, since he feels that his
what result very important e The helpless body is the target of attacks.
indispensable for the child, especially for
savage and brutal.
the bedtime.
These objects are the longed-for people
These objects are experienced as
what the sensations that he provides him
substitutes for the beloved people.
wish.
Transitional objects have been Autistic objects are shaped
forged by experience, they are created within innate dispositions, which
for the boy. are more prone to shatter.
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 The nature and origin of objects
This object is neither forgotten nor mourned,
autistics allow us to suppose that their
simply lose gradually
persistence over time may have to
meaning.
see with the development of fetishistic objects.
Tabla 1: Comparación entre objetos transicionales y objetos autistas.

Conclusions:

Starting from analyzing the concepts of transitional object and object

autistic, we can mention the wealth and importance that it has
observation of the child's first experiences, which are expressed in their relationship
with the first objects.
In these early moments of development, the relationship with the mother and
Breastfeeding exposes the child to all situations of later life.
what he will have to manage. The child experiences frustration and gratification,
joy or pain and rage.
In the face of this, the child may turn to objects that allow them to tolerate.
the wait, until the moment of true satisfaction arrives. Or else,
it may resort to an obsessive use of objects as a means of escaping from
an exterior world that presents itself as threatening and terrifying.
This is why it is important to analyze the differences between the
autistic objects and transitional objects, as this will allow us to detect
prematurely when a normal use of the object has led to a pathological use.
of the same.

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Bibliography:

Laplanche, J. and Pontalis, J.: Dictionary of Psychoanalysis. Ed. Paidós. Buenos Aires. 1996.
Tustin, F.: Autismo y Psicosis. Ed. Paidós. [Link]. 1972. Cap. II, III, IV, VII, XI y X.
(Pages 21-39, 45-60, 61-93, 145-170).
Tustin, F.: Barreras Autistas en pacientes neuróticos. Ed. Amorrortu. 1989. Cap. 6:
Autistic objects.
Tustin, F.: Psychotherapy in children who cannot play. Annual Book of
Psychoanalysis. Ed. Psychoanalytic. Imago. Lima. Peru. 1988.
Winnicott, D.: The Family and the Development of the Individual. Part I. Chapters 1 and 2. Ed.
Hormé. Buenos Aires. 1984.

Winnicott, D.: Realidad y Juego. Cap. 1. Ed. GEDISA. Barcelona. 1987.