The phenomenon of object-presenting and its implications for development

On the basis of her clinical experience with psychotic children who suffer from severe difficulties in tolerating the autonomous existence of the external object, the author discusses Winnicott's concept of object-presenting, asking what the prerequisites are for infants' acceptance and use of the object; that is, for its otherness to be assimilated. An attempt is made to establish a connection between Winnicott's and Klein's ideas on this subject, and the possible importance of such issues in normal development is indicated. Three examples of psychotic children are used to illustrate in detail several manoeuvres for avoiding the perception of the not-me, in the pattern of thinking that Tustin examined so well. After the clinical discussion, the author concludes that some children may be innately more susceptible to reacting negatively to the perception of the caretaker's otherness, and that such a characteristic combines with the environmental conditions, particularly to the style of maternal care, to produce or prevent further pathology. The rhythm, the imitative games, the gradual and partial presentation of the external object, and also certain possible methods of controlling the object, seem to belong to the set of maternal 'techniques' that are used spontaneously during the interactions. This style can also be useful at times in psychoanalytical work with severely disturbed children.