After a busy start to 2017, I am finally finding time to read my new books and catch up on a few journal articles published since March – updating my evidence statements for reports and lecturing… this book and this chapter in particular has been a great read. It is lovely to see this published from South Africa – from the place I first learnt about ASI and it’s application in mental health.
Though this article is paediatric focussed the model applies beyond childhood. I am delighted to see it is written by Annamarie van Jaarsveld, one is South Africa’s great ASI OT’s – and references to two great names; Crouch and Alers from a chapter in this book’s first edition. This original chapter influenced and inspired my early practice with young people with schizophrenia and psychosis in South Africa from 1990 – 1995. Their work with people was derived from Lorna Jean King’s early work in this field. Nowadays psychiatry recognises that many of those with a schizophrenia diagnosis then probably had autism – she was indeed a pioneer in this field.