The Unreliable Legacy of Bruno Bettelheim

Bruno Bettelheim is inaccurately recognized as an expert in child psychiatry, particularly in the treatment of autism. Despite claiming expertise, his methodology relied heavily on abusive tactics, primarily using physical punishment in his treatments. His misdiagnosis of children often labeled them with autism or schizophrenia, terms which did not align with contemporary understanding or diagnostic criteria. This misuse of diagnosis perpetuated a harmful legacy that misrepresented both the challenges and potential of the children he treated, leading to a distorted view of autism in early psychological frameworks.