This chapter explores the blame placed on mothers for their child's autism diagnosis, highlighting the prevailing theory in the 1960s that blamed 'refrigerator mothers'. It shares the story of Clara and her daughter Jessica, who faced bias and a focus on maternal psychotherapy at a children's center in Boston. The chapter also discusses the shift in thinking about the causes of autism and its harmful effects on understanding and relationships.
This episode was first broadcast in May 2022.
On All in the Mind this week, the early history of autism.
With historian of science Professor Marga Vicedo we learn about the blame that was cast on mothers, the fight to get adequate help and support for families, and the movement that one mother, Clara Park, helped spark.