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The publication of this book, which describes the life and work of Frances Tustin, follows closely on her death in November 1994. Tustin had been involved with Spensley's progress on the script, and, as reported in the text, was as always generous in her contributions as well as tolerant of more critical comments. The result is not only an accurate account of the development of Tustin's clinical practice and theory, but a further elucidation of it and its place in psychoanalytic thinking.
The Makers of Modern Psychotherapy series is intended for a broad readership, and as such presents its authors with a challenging task. The first two chapters give an account of Tustin's personal and professional development, and consider how her special interest in autism and in particular her theories about ‘black holes’ may have been influenced by her Parents' relationship and the traumatic loss of her father through their separation.
The history of theories and practice relating to autism is then usefully discussed, together with the (at times) hostile response that Tustin experienced to her highly original thinking. The controversy that her work prompted is well described, and the central issues regarding which children she considered treatable, together with