‘Everybody's dead’: The observation of an infant with autistic features

The author presents records of observations which illustrate the development of autistic features in a baby. His mother's difficulties in responding to his emotional needs despite her love for him are linked to her isolation in a foreign culture, to her husband's absence, and to significant deaths on both sides of the family. He was seen to improve somewhat when the birth of his baby sister had enlivened his mother and enabled her to bring more hope to her interaction with him. The observer's counter‐transference experience, which was at times overwhelming, is discussed in relation to the processes observed.