S u m m a r yThe aim of this paper is to present new opportunities of the individualized kindergarten teachers' approach in the preparation of an autistic child for school. The paper presents a case of an autistic child who, in addition to receiving individual psychotherapy treatment, was worked with individually by two kindergarten teachers to realise school preparation program. Through the implementation of the program, which was primarily based on the development of affective communication in a dyadic relationship with the autistic child, there were positive results in the child's affective attachment to the kindergarten teachers. These changes helped the child to adopt basic graphical motor skills, naming and social speech, and enabled him to attend regular elementary school. This article can be a stimulus to many other such approaches in the preparation of autistic children for their regular elementary education.

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The beginning of a study represents for freshmen a dif�icult period of adjustment. Observations obtained in student counseling centers as well as in investigations of students' adjustment indicate that the beginning of a study represents for students a speci�ic crisis period determined by dealing with the experiences of 'psychological separation'. Therefore, the aim of the investigation was to prove the existence of a crisis period at the beginning of a study by investigating the change of students' psychological adjustment and their use of defense mechanisms during their �irst year of study. In regard to this aim the task of the investigation was to examine I.the signi�icance of differences in the level of psychological adjustment and defense mechanisms at the beginning and the end of the �irst year of study, and also II. the contribution and correlation of defense mechanisms to psychological adjustment.In this investigation were involved female freshmen (N=80) at the Department of Educational Sciences at the University Juraj Dobrila in Pula (Croatia).The obtained results con�irm the existence of a crisis period at the beginning of a study.i. In the investigation a signi�icant lower level of self-esteem and also a signi�icant higher level of the use of defense mechanisms were obtained at the beginning than at the end of the �irst year of study. Also ii. In these different self-esteems, during the �irst year of study, different defense mechanisms had signi�icant contribution. So at the beginning (in lower level of self esteem) a signi�icant contribution had lower mechanisms, such as projection while at the end of the �irst year of study (in higher level of self esteem) a signi�icant contribution had higher defense mechanisms such as reactive formations.iii. In the analysis of correlations among defense mechanisms and different levels of self-esteem the same results have been obtained so that at the beginning, signi�i-cantly negative correlations had lower mechanisms, such as projection, regression and compensation, while at the end of the �irst year of study, excluding projection as lower mechanism, higher mechanisms had signi�icant correlations, such as reaction formation and repression.These results contributed to the understanding speci�icities of initial studying and to developing appropriate psychological approaches in student counseling centers.

The beginning of a study represents for freshmen a dif�icult period of adjustment. Observations obtained in student counseling centers as well as in investigations of students' adjustment indicate that the beginning of a study represents for students a speci�ic crisis period determined by dealing with the experiences of 'psychological separation'. Therefore, the aim of the investigation was to prove the existence of a crisis period at the beginning of a study by investigating the change of students' psychological adjustment and their use of defense mechanisms during their �irst year of study. In regard to this aim the task of the investigation was to examine I.the signi�icance of differences in the level of psychological adjustment and defense mechanisms at the beginning and the end of the �irst year of study, and also II. the contribution and correlation of defense mechanisms to psychological adjustment.In this investigation were involved female freshmen (N=80) at the Department of Educational Sciences at the University Juraj Dobrila in Pula (Croatia).The obtained results con�irm the existence of a crisis period at the beginning of a study.i. In the investigation a signi�icant lower level of self-esteem and also a signi�icant higher level of the use of defense mechanisms were obtained at the beginning than at the end of the �irst year of study. Also ii. In these different self-esteems, during the �irst year of study, different defense mechanisms had signi�icant contribution. So at the beginning (in lower level of self esteem) a signi�icant contribution had lower mechanisms, such as projection while at the end of the �irst year of study (in higher level of self esteem) a signi�icant contribution had higher defense mechanisms such as reactive formations.iii. In the analysis of correlations among defense mechanisms and different levels of self-esteem the same results have been obtained so that at the beginning, signi�i-cantly negative correlations had lower mechanisms, such as projection, regression and compensation, while at the end of the �irst year of study, excluding projection as lower mechanism, higher mechanisms had signi�icant correlations, such as reaction formation and repression.These results contributed to the understanding speci�icities of initial studying and to developing appropriate psychological approaches in student counseling centers.