DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS LIKE AUTISM ARE COMPLEX; EVEN SPECIALISTS IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE FIELDS RECOGNIZE THERE IS STILL MUCH TO LEARN. HOWEVER, WHEN A CHILD RECEIVES AN AUTISM DIAGNOSIS, PARENTS OFTEN TURN TO THE LATEST COGNITIVE THEORIES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR CHILD’S UNIQUE BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER AUTISTIC TRAITS.

By Yolande LOFTUS, BA, LLB

Many parents would love a single, concise, and accurate autism theory that explains the characteristics and symptoms of their child on the spectrum. One hypothesis spanning the spectrum does not seem likely, but certain theories of autism, backed by research, have delivered valuable insight. The extreme male brain theory and mindblindness are two such autism theories. Many others, ranging from the ridiculous to the intriguing, have aimed to explain the complexity of the autistic mind.

From the (thankfully discredited) refrigerator mom theory to Professor Simon Baron-Cohen’s hyper-systemizing, assortative mating theory of autism (which extends the extreme male brain theory), researchers continue to hypothesize about autism spectrum conditions. The complicated neurodevelopmental condition is not easily pegged down, and while some theories are backed by solid science, others seem constructed to assign baseless blame for a condition which many no longer see in terms of deficits.

Austistic advocates celebrating neurodivergence are sometimes accused of only championing the cause of “high functioning” (a problematic term which some feel should be abandoned) autistic people. Theories hypothesizing about the other “end” of the spectrum, where many children are still lacking appropriate support to communicate effectively, are less mainstream. Theorizing about savants and autistic geniuses capture the imagination, but autism spans across a wide spectrum, and research and media coverage should be inclusive of the entire autistic population.

With inclusivity in mind, let’s take a look at some autism theories. Some have been discredited, some have divided the scientific community, and some have inspired a school of thought where autism may one day be celebrated as the next step in human evolution.

The Refrigerator Mom theory

Capitalizing on women’s all-pervasive guilt—interestingly a study found men feel less guilt (Etxebarria et al., 2009)—this theory blamed autism on a mother’s lack of love. Sometimes referred to as Bettelheim’s theory of autism, it claimed mothers caused autism by depriving their children of the crucial bonding experience due to their cold, distant, and rejecting parenting approach.