Response to “The Same but Different

Comments on Viola Mecke's review (see record 2007-11580-001) of Rita S. Eagle's book, Help him make you smile: The development of intersubjectivity in the atypical child by Rita S. Eagle (see record 2007-05826-000). The current authors states this book is about intersubjectivity–that is, the motivation and capacity to connect and share one's inner world with that of another. Mecke's review does not portray the purpose and content of this book. For one, she describes the book as primarily about autism. Rather, it is about children with various types of developmental disabilities. Following a discussion of the prevalence of autism, Mecke then states that “the overall theme of the book is that these children are the same as other children, but different–in that they approach life with a different pace and have a different style of growth.” However, in her book, the phrase “same but different” refers specifically, and only, to the way intersubjectivity develops in children with atypical development, not to their general development. Mecke states that the book regrettably is outdated because it does not cover recent neurological research regarding attachment and affective processes that may in the future lead to specific treatment modalities for severe disabilities such as autism. However, the book is about parent- infant interaction and its role in fostering intersubjectivity. In summary, Mecke's review of this book does not accurately portray the book's focus, the nature and purpose of the personal diary, the extent to which observation and theory are integrated, or the range of topics covered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved)