Psychotherapy of Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

In recent years, the role of psychotherapy in the treatment of children with pervasive developmental disorders, such as autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, has been questioned. Advances in neuropsychiatry, neuropsychology, and genetics, as well as the refinement of behavioral and educational techniques, have relegated discussions about psychotherapy mostly to reviews about the history of treatment for autism. Even when psychotherapeutic work is suggested, it is typically only very structured supportive counseling for older and high functioning children and adolescents that is considered. This paper argues that there is a central role for psychotherapy for children with pervasive developmental disorders, and that psychotherapeutic interventions should begin at a younger, rather than older age.