With the aim of strengthening social relatedness, this doctoral thesis examines the developmental characteristics and the experience of the separation-individuation process in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). People with ASD face deficits in social communication and social interaction, which manifest as difficulties in social relatedness. The separation-individuation process is a developmental process in which an individual’s identity is built in a meaningful relationship, fostering reciprocal relationships. Our study was conducted using quantitative and qualitative research as well as descriptive and causal-non-experimental methods. The sample in the quantitative part of the study consisted of 138 adults with normal intellectual abilities, 38 of whom had ASD and constituted the experimental group; the remaining 100 with no ASD constituted the control group. The following tests were used: the Test of Object Relations, the Picture Test of Separation and Individuation, and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). In the qualitative part of the study, the sample consisted of 18 adults with ASD who were interviewed in a semi-structured manner. The results of the analysis confirmed statistically significant differences between the two groups; in people with ASD, the dimensions of dependency and social isolation were more pronounced, and the relationship with their mother was more symbiotic and protective. In addition, the people with ASD in our sample experienced the separation-individuation process as more aggravating than encouraging. The findings of the study suggest that the separation-individuation process in people with ASD has not been carried through and that complications arose during the symbiotic phase. This results in difficulties when people with ASD initiate reciprocal relationships and try to become independent. This PhD thesis provides new theoretical insights into how people with ASD initiate relationships, and can thus help improve professional socio-pedagogical and other support in the field of autism.
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