The Use of Fantasy Enactment in the Treatment of an Emerging Autistic Child

In this paper we describe the therapy of an emerging autistic child, Luci. The first author worked with Luci for two months via play therapy but found that she used the toys in a perseverative and manneristic fashion (twirling string and flapping feathers). At this juncture she sought help from the second writer and it was decided, for training purposes, that we would see Luci together.

This approach is not uncommon as a training method in group therapy, but as far as we know it has not been used too frequently in the treatment of a child. We both found it a very positive experience and noted that the ‘emotional heaviness’ we sometimes experienced when treating autistic children on their own was totally absent.

The use of fantasy enactment (i.e. the three of us role-playing Luci's fantasies) developed from the first joint session in the playroom when the second therapist turned to Luci and said: ‘We are here to play with you. What would you like to do?’ Her immediate reply was: ‘I'm Danny, you're Joanna’—pointing to the male therapist—‘and you're Lawrence’—(female therapist) ‘and I want to tie you up.’ This article describes what occurred when we followed and enacted Luci's fantasies over the period of a year.

Luci was the third child born to two intelligent, middle-class parents. Her two brothers were six and nine years at the time of birth and were developing normally. There was no history of mental illness or retardation in either family.

During the first six weeks of pregnancy the mother developed hay fever and was put on a heavy dosage of antihistamines. Other than this there were