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"MEOW, I AM A PUSSYCAT."
With these words Arthur B. introduced himself to the psychologist1 who was to examine and assess him psychologically. Through this rather startling introduction, as well as his catlike way of moving, this 7-year-old boy gave to the examiner an immediate clue to the focus of his difficulty. It was, in fact, Arthur's open imitation of a pussycat that had become so embarrassing to his parents that they willingly followed the school's advice to seek help. Arthur was unable to attend to or participate in normal classroom activities. He had no friends among his peers. He was preoccupied with building towers with blocks and openly masturbating.
The psychologist described Arthur as a pale, bloblike child, with his mouth open and a vague expression on his face, "a child with few inner resources." The test results suggested he had limited intellectual resources. Furthermore, there were indications of passive negativism, castration anxiety, primitive aggressive orality, a thin magic omnipotence, and a "lack of substantial parental images." Psychoanalysis was recommended and Arthur was referred to me.
When I met with Arthur's parents, Mr. and Mrs. B., they soon revealed a serious concern about Arthur's behavior; for example,