ABSTRACT
In working with psychotic children, a range of objects is encountered whose nature seems to lie between that of autistic objects and that of transitional objects. Winnicott defined the transitional object as ‘the child’s first “not-me” possession’. In the previous chapter, autistic objects were defined as ‘the child’s first “me” possessions’. Confusional objects are a confusion of both ‘me’ and ‘not-me’ elements. From an assessment and a treatment point of view, it is important that they should be recognised and the specific character of their use and functions under stood. (In Chapter 6, these objects were seen in use by Luke, the confusional child described by Dr Robert Salo. This child’s use of a teddy bear also illustrates how a confusional object can develop into a transitional object, when helped to do so by an insightful therapist.)
THE NATURE OF CONFUSIONAL OBJECTS
Confusional objects are soft objects. Like autistic objects they are idiosyn cratic to each individual child, or they may be ordinary objects the like of which other children use, but which the confusional child uses in ways which are peculiar to himself. They are not shared objects.
