ABSTRACT
An outstanding characteristic of autistic objects is that they are not used in terms of the function for which they were intended. Instead they are used in ways which are idiosyncratic to each child. The hard metal trains and cars which some autistic children take to bed with them to put under their pillows are similarly not used in terms of their intended function as playthings. An outstanding characteristic of autistic objects is that they are not used in terms of the function for which they were intended. The foregoing discussion hints at another characteristic feature of autistic objects. The sensation-dominated state of the autistic child means that such children live in a globally apprehended world. Autistic objects bring almost instant satisfaction, and prevent the delay between anticipation and realization which, so long as the suspense can be tolerated, leads on to such symbolic activities as fantasies, memories and thoughts.
