. . "The refrigerator mother idea first came from Leo Kanner, who in 1943 noted that many parents were unkind to their autistic children. In 1949 he suggested that \"parental coldness\" might cause autism. The theory was formally propounded by psychologist Bruno Bettelheim and a number of other health care professionals. Their premise was that the autism has its genesis in the cold and uncaring behavior and attitude of mothers towards their children. This resulted into improper bondage and relationship between the child and the mother which resulted into autism and related disabilities. Upon his death in 1990, people discovered that Bettelheim had lied about many things (including his credentials) and abused some of his former patients."@en . "The refrigerator mother idea first came from Leo Kanner, who in 1943 noted that many parents were unkind to their autistic children. In 1949 he suggested that \"parental coldness\" might cause autism. The theory was formally propounded by psychologist Bruno Bettelheim and a number of other health care professionals. Their premise was that the autism has its genesis in the cold and uncaring behavior and attitude of mothers towards their children. This resulted into improper bondage and relationship between the child and the mother which resulted into autism and related disabilities."@en . . . "Refrigerator mother"@en . .