CHICAGO, IL, June 7, 2014 – At the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) Annual Meeting held in Chicago on June 6, researchers provided findings and video examples of their method of working with severely disturbed preschoolers. Patients include those with posttraumatic disorders and many on the autism spectrum. Called “Reflective Network Therapy” the technique focuses on one child at a time as it harnesses small social networks in the classroom, composed of parents, teachers, a therapist and peers. The method is provided to, on average, eight to twelve students in need, right in the child’s own public special class or even in an ordinary private preschool.

The method costs about one sixth that of Applied Behavior Analysis and produces marked benefits within a school year. It is estimated RNT could save public special education systems, parents and insurers millions of dollars for every ten children receiving the treatment, rather than programs ordinarily provided — while providing high quality evidence-based intervention with an IQ database more scientifically robust than that of previous methods for preschoolers.
Twenty five in-classroom therapists have learned the method since its development. It has been manualized and reported upon in peer reviewed journals; it is replicable, feasible in many settings, and produces reliable results. One of the most active sites is near Detroit, and led by Nancy Blieden, Ph.D. Last month, the method’s principle author, Gilbert Kliman, M.D. was honored by the Parisian Psychoanalytic Society and the American College of Psychoanalysts, following his presentation of findings at their joint meeting.