Annihilation anxiety and fantasy in the art of children with Asperger's syndrome and others on the autistic spectrum

This paper focuses on defense mechanisms employed by children with autistic spectrum disorders, and Asperger's syndrome in particular, as a means of w arding off intense anxiety, including the fear of annihilation. This fear a rises when the child with an autistic spectrum disorder is faced with the d emands of everyday reality. Forced from their private worlds, their defensi ve responses include delusional fantasy, obsessions, and projective identif ication. These processes are often manifest in dramatic terms within the fo rm and content of their art. The symbolization of annihilation fantasy allo ws the art therapist a dramatic glimpse into the inner mental life of child ren on the autistic spectrum.