title: Developmentally impaired boys coming of age.
abstract: Psychotherapy for children with significant developmental impairments often focuses on specific, symptom-targeted treatments. While often effective, these treatments do not address the impaired view these children have of themselves. Adolescence and the struggles to come to terms with sexuality, present a unique opportunity for the psychodynamically oriented therapist to confirm what is normal and expand domains of relatedness. The cases of three boys are described in which the therapy played a vital role in normalizing their adolescent experiences. These boys carried diagnoses of Asperger's Syndrome, Aspergers's with Bipolar Disorder, and Multi-dimensionally Impaired. With more of a sense of normalcy about their drives, as well as the pressure of the drives themselves, these boys were able to establish both sexual and friendship relationships beyond expectations.
authors.affiliation: College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, USA. owenlewismd@aol.com
authors.forename: Owen
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001364:Awareness; D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*