In the mid-20th century, Bruno Bettelheim, a prominent psychologist, became a well-known figure in autism research with his controversial theory that described autistic children as living in an "empty fortress." His analogy suggested that autistic children had retreated into an emotional isolation, building an invisible wall to protect themselves from what he saw as their harsh, unloving environments—primarily caused by their mothers. Bettelheim believed that this emotional withdrawal was a response to parenting that lacked warmth and affection, particularly from mothers, whom he labeled "refrigerator mothers." His book The Empty Fortress (1967) further elaborated on this idea, pushing the harmful notion that mothers were to blame for their children's autism.
Bettelheim was heavily influenced by psychoanalytic theory, which emphasized the role of early childhood experiences, particularly relationships with parents, in shaping emotional and psychological development. Drawing parallels between autistic children and concentration camp survivors—Bettelheim himself had been imprisoned in concentration camps—he believed that both groups exhibited similar emotional withdrawal as a result of trauma. In his view, autistic children experienced a form of psychological trauma due to their supposed emotional neglect from their parents, especially their mothers.
His clinical observations and psychoanalytic interpretations convinced him that autism was a defense mechanism against a perceived emotional threat from the environment. The “empty fortress” metaphor thus painted a tragic picture of children locked away from the world due to their mothers' inability to connect with them emotionally.
Blame on Mothers: Bettelheim's theory placed heavy blame on mothers, labeling them as the primary cause of autism. This led to immense guilt, shame, and isolation for parents who were already struggling to understand and support their autistic children. It added emotional trauma for families, particularly mothers, and created a deep stigma around parenting.
Ethical Concerns: Bettelheim's treatment methods, which often involved harsh discipline and control in his clinic, later came under scrutiny. Former patients and colleagues accused him of abusive practices, compounding the discrediting of his work.
Discrediting: Over time, Bettelheim’s theories were discredited as scientific evidence emerged to show that autism is primarily a neurodevelopmental condition, unrelated to parenting style. Bettelheim’s psychoanalytic framework, once influential, became outdated and damaging.
After moving to the United States, he became the director of the Orthogenic School at the University of Chicago, where he treated emotionally disturbed children, including some with autism. His approach, however, was later criticized for being unscientific and overly reliant on Freudian psychoanalysis. It was also revealed that Bettelheim's academic credentials were questionable. He had claimed to have a PhD in art history and psychology, but his formal qualifications were less rigorous than he led others to believe.
2020 is a year of upheaval on many fronts. Two of the campus buildings are losing their names. Earlier this year, the now "Berkeley Law" building lost its former name of "Boalt"
More changes are in the offing with Kroeber Hall next.
From Chancellor Carol Christ.
The names “LeConte Hall” and “Barrows Hall” have been officially removed from each building, and are already in the process of being physically removed or covered. For now, until new names have been approved, we will refer to the former, which actually includes two structures, as Physics North and Physics South, and the latter as the Social Sciences Building.
.... The committee, in preparing its recommendation to rename these buildings adhered to a key principle: The legacy of a building’s namesake should be in alignment with the values and mission of the university as expressed in our Principles of Community. That was clearly not the case for either of these buildings.
LeConte Hall
As noted in the committee’s recommendation (LeConte Recommendation), it was in 2015 that our Black Student Union first called for LeConte to be renamed, and while I regret the time it has taken to respond, I am grateful for the continued advocacy and activism that have led to this necessary action. So, too, am I grateful for the faculty in our Department of Physics. In 2018 they passed an informal resolution in favor of renaming the building they are housed in, followed by a near-unanimous vote in June 2020 in support of the outcome we are announcing today.
LeConte Hall was meant to honor two brothers, John and Joseph LeConte, who came to Berkeley in 1869 and were among the most prominent and earliest members of the University of California’s faculty. The LeConte brothers were from a slaveholding family in Georgia and inherited a plantation with 200 slaves. Both brothers participated in the Confederate Army and served the South in the Civil War. Joseph LeConte was an outspoken advocate of deeply racist views. Despite their service to the university, the brothers’ words and deeds profoundly conflict with our values, and with our commitment to equity, inclusion and a true sense of belonging for every member of our community.
Barrows Hall
Barrows Hall is named after David Prescott Barrows, who served as president of the University of California from 1919 to 1923 and as a faculty member from 1910 to 1942. As described in the committee’s recommendation (Barrows Recommendation), since 2015, students, faculty, and staff members of the UC Berkeley community have been calling for the renaming of Barrows Hall due to Barrows’ advocacy of white supremacy and his legacy of racism towards Filipinos, Black people, and Indigenous peoples. He believed and wrote, for example, that Europeans and white people were the only "great historical race," and that, "the black lacks an inherent passion for freedom." Here, too, the historical record provides ample evidence of intolerable racist beliefs and biases that are profoundly contrary to what we know, believe and stand for.
You can learn more about the decision and the process the campus followed in this article on the Berkeley News site.
These actions come in the wake of our January unnaming of what is, for the time being, known as The Law Building. The Building Name Review Committee has advanced for consideration one additional proposal for the unnaming of Kroeber Hall, and we hope to share word of the outcome in the weeks ahead.
A building name is more than a symbol. Those who we choose to honor reflect who we are and what we believe in. I have committed my administration to doing everything in its power to identify and eliminate racism wherever it may be found on our campus and in our community. This is but one step among many that we are taking, and I am deeply grateful for the faculty, students and staff whose activism, caring, and engagement are helping us reconcile with our past for the sake of a better future.
An event kicked off even before the semester began. Spectrum At Cal presented on 2 different occasions.
Why Autistics Belong and How to be Ally to Neurodivergents
I wrote 3 of the articles for the Daily Californian's Disability Impact Issue for the 30th Anniversary of the ADA. This article was a personal reflection.
The Daily Cal came out with A Disability Impact Special (23 articles). A tribute to 30 Years of ADA.
I have been pushing for such an issue for a few months now. I was able to give input on what the front art cover should look like. Its black and white images of the disability rights movement overlaid with the modern face of disability in color; color in more ways that one - different races, different disabilities, visible and invisible disabilities.
Check it out https://www.dailycal.org/section/special/30-years-of-ada-2020/
Other articles in the issue by me are
https://www.dailycal.org/2020/10/23/born-into-the-ada/
https://www.dailycal.org/2020/10/23/disability-higher-education/
