Refrigerator Mother Theory of Autism

Introduction

Autism is referred to people who strive to read, write, speak, and study without much help or assistance. It is not a diagnosis or disease. Autism is a neurological disorder in which the person has difficulties with speech and communication. Some people require minimal support, but others require substantial support daily. It is also called an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mostly the persons who do not require much support are referred to as high-functioning autism.

The term refrigerator mother or parents emerged in the year 1950s. It is defined as abnormal or impaired development that manifests before three years, characterized by abnormalities in social development and communication and restriction of behavior and interest. It affects the brain’s normal function. The ideology of autism due to poor parenting is a challenging and rejected topic of controversy.

What Is the Link Between Parenting and Autism Spectrum Disorders?

The link between parenting and autism is explained below:

• There is a translocational association between parenting and children diagnosed with autism. A cascade of stress proliferation manifests in the parents due to the severity of primary and secondary symptoms of autism.

• The parents develop more stress because of the child's inability for social communication and emotional behaviour.

• These behaviors manifest depression and anger in parents.

• Lack of bonding and attachment is the primary reason for autism.

• Autistic children cannot differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar people.

• Lack of parent warmth and an abnormal parent-child relationship contribute to the child’s autistic behavior. The main cause for autistic behavior is the cold and rejecting behavior of the parents.

What Are the Causes of Autism?

Defects in genes or genetic mutations are the main cause of autism. The other causes might include infections, exposure to some toxins, or environmental factors.

• Lack of early emotional stimulation damages the developing nervous system, leading to defects in personality development and intellectual functioning.

• Many studies have been conducted on how biological factors can increase the risk of autism. Its development interferes with changes in the brain's metabolism, and its connections or the body's immune system can increase the likelihood of its development.

• There is no permanent cure for autism, but it can change throughout a person’s life. After undergoing the training sessions, the person might grow out of symptoms, or they can slowly get rid of the symptoms causing autism, and it can reduce to a milder level.

• Early intervention services can help children gain emotional awareness, language skills, and other hallmarks of typical development. Many free programs are available for babies and toddlers in many states and countries. These low-cost intervention programs help them recover soon, and they can gain the abilities early in life.

• Medication will help with autism symptoms such as emotions, depression, anxiety, or obsessive thoughts.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Autism?

The signs and symptoms of autism include:

• Delayed language skills.

• Delayed movement skills.

• Delayed learning or cognitive skills.

• Hyperactive, impulsive, or inattentive behavior.

• Unusual mood or emotional reactions.

• Anxiety, stress, and excessive fear.

• Lack of fear or more fear than expected.

What Is the Refrigerator Theory of Autism?

The refrigerator mother theory of autism is:

• Sigmund Freud is the father of modern psychology. Early trauma in childhood is believed to be the primary reason for autism. It is a mental illness related to the child's psychology at the early stages of life.

• Bruno Bettelheim, a renowned professor of child development, took hold of the refrigerator mother theory. The refrigerator mother is a term that is referred to emotionally cold mothers.

• In some articles, artistic children are described as ‘reared in emotional refrigerators’. US child psychiatrists have also claimed that the psychological behavior of autistic children is due to the emotional or mental stress that they undergo during their childhood.

• The main cause of autism is the lack of prenatal warmth.

• Autism’s cause is rooted in neurological development. Nurturing the child during childhood is a significant factor for autism. These theories created a deep sense of anguish and resentment towards child psychiatrists who made them feel they were to blame for their child’s autism.

• Freud’s psychotherapy systematically investigated underlying forces contributing to human behavior or psychodynamics. The term refrigerator mother refers to those parents who are emotionally frigid and cause the child’s autistic behavior.

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorder. The causative factors for autism are genetic and environmental. Parental stress can affect the child’s psychology in many ways that impede the child’s development. Parenteral behavior during the developing stages of a child can enhance the development of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). These family interventions are developed to address the parent and family characteristics.

• Leo Kanner, in 1943, discovered the root cause and contributing factors for the development of autism spectrum disorders.

• It is called a neurodevelopmental disorder because it affects a child's psychological development. Many genetic factors have been discovered as the cause of autism.

• Parental behavior greatly impacts the psychological development of a child with ASD.

• Few researchers have investigated the parental role in a child's psychological development because it adds guilt to many parents with children with ASD. Few studies suggest what parents should have done differently to prevent or correct the child’s problem.

• Most of the parents of ASD children are clinically ineffective in parenting, but positively they want to impact their child’s development. Most researchers describe the child’s driven effects on parental behavior. But there are fewer studies regarding the parent-driven effects on ASD.

• Extreme autistic loneliness could be a reason for loneliness and lack of social awareness. According to studies, autistic children do not orient themselves to being held up by their parents, and the awareness about the parent’s activities is not registered in their minds.

• The parents are not warm-hearted despite being smart and intelligent.

• In some formal marriages, the couples are preoccupied with abstractions of life and have limited genuine interest in people, which leads to a child’s loneliness that creates a drift in the parent-child relationship.

• Autism is considered innate, but the child’s environmental factors affect the development.

Conclusion

There is no permanent cure for autistic disorders, but several treatment options exist. Early diagnosis and intervention are more appreciated and can enhance the skills, speech, and behavior of the child. Autistic individuals have a unique way of analyzing and thinking that requires a multidisciplinary approach. To reach their maximum potential, they need lifetime support. Even though they feel better after some time again, they might require emotional support and accommodations.