The benefits of using a transitional object and of the understanding of rituals in the practice of socio-educational support
The ambition of this article is to indicate a few avenues for reflection based on the clinical case of the long-term follow-up of a resident with Down's syndrome and autism. Starting from the observation that the daily accompaniment to the toilet presented more and more opposition from the resident, Caroline (not her real name), as well as the appearance of increasingly problematic behaviors, we felt it was necessary, for the understanding of the pathology, to know the history of the patient from childhood to adulthood.
The phenomenon of premature aging of cognitive faculties observed in the field requires that this knowledge be acquired through documentary research and consultations with specialists.
To this end, we worked to decode and understand the rituals and transitions of the resident during the intimate moments of the toilet, of the change of place and space, and also her permanent silence.
Following a period of observation of the degree of participation of the resident, her blockages and the level of commitment required from the educator, a support protocol was developed and implemented that is giving satisfactory results for the resident and her educator. In this context, we see emerging the importance and pivotal role of the transitional object.
Keywords:Socio-educational work, transitional objects, Down Syndrome, Art-Therapy