Dimensions of object relations in people with autism spectrum disorder as a basis for strengthening social relatedness skills

Rogič Ožek, Simona (author)

This paper presents the results of a study focusing on the dimensions of object relations in people with autism spectrum disorder. An object relation denotes a relationship with a significant other, within which several identification processes take place through a meaningful emotional exchange. This is described by the developmental process of separation and individuation, which primarily occurs in children from birth to their third year of life. Although deficits in social relationships represent the most typical features of autism, there is still a great deal of uncertainty in this field. Based on the theoretical background, we hypothesised that differences in the characteristics of object relations in people with autism spectrum disorder compared to the characteristics of object relations in people without autism spectrum disorder are reflected in a greater expression of disturbances in object relations, especially in the more pronounced dimensions of greater social isolation and symbiotic merging. The quantitative research sample comprised 38 adults with autism spectrum disorder with normal intellectual abilities and 100 adults without autism spectrum disorder. The Test of Object Relations, which measures the individual dimensions of object relations, was used for data collection. The results show that there are statistically significant differences between the two groups of respondents, as the dimensions of symbiotic merging, social isolation and separation anxiety are more pronounced in adults with autism spectrum disorder. These findings serve as a basis for designing professional support for people with autism spectrum disorder in order to promote autonomy to strengthen the skills needed for social relatedness and social inclusion.

• Language: English
• Keywords: object relations, people with autism spectrum disorder, social relatedness, separation-individuation process, professional support
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: PEF - Faculty of Education
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: Str. 197-217
• Numbering: Vol. 14, no. 2 (varia issue)
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-159640
• UDC: 616.896
• ISSN on article: 1855-9719
• DOI: 10.26529/cepsj.1556
• COBISS.SI-ID: 158612227

Copyright

Podatek o licenci CC-BY 4.0 je naveden na spletni strani revije (https://www.cepsj.si/index.php/cepsj/about). (Datum opombe 17. 7. 2024)

• Publication date in RUL: 17.07.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: CEPS journal : Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal = revija Centra za študij edukacijskih strategij
• Publisher: Pedagoška fakulteta, Univerza v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1855-9719
• COBISS.SI-ID: 252707584

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Dimenzije objektnih odnosov pri osebah z avtističnimi motnjami kot podlaga za krepitev veščin socialne povezanosti

Abstract

V prispevku so predstavljeni izsledki študije, ki se je osredinila na dimenzije objektnih odnosov pri osebah z avtističnimi motnjami. Objektni odnos označuje odnos s pomembno drugo osebo, znotraj katerega potekajo številni identifikacijski procesi prek pomembne čustvene izmenjave. To opisuje razvojni proces separacije in individuacije, ki primarno poteka pri otrocih od rojstva do tretjega leta življenja. Čeprav primanjkljaji v socialnih odnosih predstavljajo najbolj tipične značilnosti avtizma, je na tem področju še vedno veliko negotovosti. Na podlagi teoretičnega ozadja smo postavili hipotezo, da se razlike v značilnostih objektnih odnosov pri osebah z avtističnimi motnjami v primerjavi z značilnostmi objektnih odnosov pri osebah brez avtističnih motenj kažejo v večji izraženosti motenj v objektnih odnosih, zlasti v izrazitejših dimenzijah večje socialne izolacije in simbiotičnega zlivanja. Kvantitativni raziskovalni vzorec je obsegal 38 odraslih oseb z avtističnimi motnjami z normalnimi intelektualnimi sposobnostmi in 100 odraslih oseb brez avtističnih motenj. Za zbiranje podatkov je bil uporabljen t. i. test objektnih odnosov, ki meri posamezne dimenzije objektnih odnosov. Rezultati kažejo, da med obema skupinama anketirancev obstajajo statistično pomembne razlike, saj so dimenzije simbiotičnega zlivanja, socialne izolacije in separacijske anksioznosti izrazitejše pri odraslih z avtističnimi motnjami. Te ugotovitve služijo kot podlaga za oblikovanje strokovne podpore osebam z avtističnimi motnjami z namenom spodbujanja avtonomije za krepitev veščin, potrebnih za socialno povezanost in socialno vključenost.

• Keywords: strokovna podpora, objektni odnosi, proces separacije in individuacije, socialna povezanost, avtizem