Science and Medicine

Bernard Rimland

Bernard Rimland (November 15, 1928 – November 21, 2006) was an American research psychologist, alternative medicine promoter, writer, and lecturer, who was influential in dispelling the once-prevalent belief that autism was caused by emotionally cold or distant parenting. Rimland's first book, Infantile Autism—inspired by his experience parenting an autistic son—was instrumental in changing attitudes about the disorder. Rimland founded and directed two advocacy groups: the Autism Society of America (ASA) and the Autism Research Institute (ARI). He also promoted several unproven or discredited theories about the causes and treatment of autism. This included falsely claiming a link between vaccines and autism, falsely promoting facilitated communication as a legitimate form of augmentative and alternative communication, and falsely promoting chelation therapy and secretin as effective autism treatments. He also supported the ethically controversial practice of using aversives (including electric shocks) on autistic children.

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• ▸Disease outbreak
• ▸1811
• ▸Depleted uranium

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