How disciplinary and institutional orientation influences professionals’ decision-making about early childhood disability

Abstract

AbstractThis study describes how professionals’ training and work setting influences their assessment of children with developmental disability suspected to lie within the autistic spectrum. Data consisted of the assessment discussion protocols about four pre-school children by two multiprofessional groups in London: a paediatrician, psychologist and speech therapist in a hospital; and educational psychologists, a psychotherapist and educational personnel in a school. Verbal protocol and thematic analysis revealed the application of three approaches – organic, behavioural and psychodynamic. Each approach provided different explanations of the problem, but all highlighted an individual disorder within the child. The potential impact of family and school contexts were more characteristic of the psychodynamic approach.