refrigerator mother

The term "refrigerator mother" is an outdated and discredited psychological theory that suggested the emotional coldness of mothers caused autism in their children. This theory was popularized by psychiatrist Leo Kanner in 1943, who described a condition he called "early infantile autism". Kanner believed that the lack of emotional warmth from mothers contributed to their children's autistic behaviors, such as an obsessive need for sameness and difficulty relating to others.12

However, Kanner himself later repudiated this theory and the idea behind it by the 1970s. Modern understanding of autism, now classified as an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), recognizes it as a neurodevelopmental difference with complex genetic and environmental causes, not a result of parental behavior. It is unethical and inaccurate to blame parents for their child's autism.12