Against 'Refrigerator Mothers'

Leo Kanner in theories developed in 1940s suggested that children with autism had suffered delays in emotional and social development due to a lack of warmth and affection from their parents (refrigerator mothers).
In the late 1920’s psychologist John Watson advocated that parents should never hug and rarely kiss their children. “Mother love is a dangerous instrument, which may inflict a never healing wound…” His own son committed suicide.

These concepts caused enormous pain for many families for decades before they were debunked.