From ‘Refrigerator Mothers’ to Empowered Advocates: The Evolution of the Autism Parent
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative historical commentary with no empirical data or systematic review methodology
OpenAlex W4294151545 · doi:10.1080/01612840.2022.2115594
What was done
This is a historical perspective and narrative commentary examining the evolution of scientific and societal perceptions of parents of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, from historical psychological blame to modern biopsychosocial models.
What was found
The abstract reports no empirical data or numerical results. It describes a historical shift from the "refrigerator mother" hypothesis toward contemporary neurodevelopmental frameworks that highlight parental co-regulation and collective advocacy.
Why it matters
The paper contextualizes how the role of parents of autistic children evolved from stigmatized causes of disorder to empowered advocates and key partners in developmental support.
Limits
The work contains no empirical human data, quantitative measurements, or systematic review methodology, functioning entirely as a narrative commentary.
Cited by
- supports Autism was historically believed in medical consensus to be caused by emotionally distant parenting, known as 'refrigerator mothers.'