Bettelheim's Theory Of Autism

Autism is a severe developmental disorder that debilitates the ability to communicate and socially interact with others. It is important to include science as well as the field of psychology to better understand autism and find a solution. A plausible explanation is the disruption in DNA that results in a genetic mutation or inherited from the parents of the offspring. Psychologist believe that the disorder is cause by the lack of development of certain components in the brain. Biological occurrences contribute to a plethora of mental and personality disorders. When it comes to finding a cause science can aid in figuring out the biological aspects of a disorder. In the twenty first century new categories of specialist such as neuropsychologist,
Leo kanner a psychiatrist from John Hopkins University believed that the style of upbringing and the cold nature of the mother caused the child to become emotionally disturbed, schizophrenic or psychotic. His justification for this idea was that kids with autism are born to intelligent mothers therefore, less likely to receive affection and nurturing attention. So, he coined the term “refrigerator mothers” a phrase symbolizing the cold harsh attitude of the mother. A psychologist by the name of Bruno Bettelheim supported Leo Kanner theory. Bettelheim worked at a facility where he developed and carried out treatments for behavioral disorders in adolescents. He was seen as a highly reputable specialist in the treatment of autistic children and influential in pushing forward the “refrigerator mother” theory. Bettelheim compared the lives of autistic children to prisoners in a concentration camp. He further concluded that the mothers were like Nazi guards demonizing the children. His ideology appeared to pacify the field of psychology at the time. The fact that he was an actual prisoner for ten months during World War II appeared to bring a lot of credibility to his
The fact that the undiscovered gene mutation can cause certain areas of the brain to malfunction can be the primary cause of autism. There are millions of dollars being put towards research for autism to find a cure. An essential component in finding a cure to any disease or disorder is finding the cause. As for autism it is said it is due to genetics, hereditary or due to the structure of the brain. There are some reports that states in certain situations if the mother is severely sick during pregnancy that can cause autism also. It is hard to find a solution to a problem when the cause of the problem is unknown. The field of psychology made its contribution in the 1940s starting with behaviorist Leo Kanner. Even though his studies were invalid, he opened up the dialogue. Psychologist such as Bruno Bettelheim knew that it was essential in helping autistic children function with day to day