''Refrigerator Mothers'' is a 2003 television documentary film by

Kartemquin Films Kartemquin Films is a four-time Oscar-nominated 501(c)3 non-profit production company located in Chicago, Illinois, that produces a wide range of documentary films. It is the documentary filmmaking home of acclaimed producers such as Gordon Quinn ...

for

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of ed ...

P.O.V. ''POV'' (also written ''P.O.V.'') is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) public television series which features independent nonfiction films. ''POV'' is an initialism for ''point of view''. ''POV'' is the longest-running showcase on television ...

series. The film paints an intimate portrait of an entire generation of American mothers whose children were diagnosed with

autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

. Labeled '

refrigerator mother The Refrigerator mother theory, also known as Bettelheim's theory of autism, is a controversial psychological theory that the cause of autism is a lack of maternal (figurative) warmth. Evidence against the refrigerator mother theory began in t ...

s' in the 1950s and 1960s by the medical establishment for their supposedly frigid and detached mothering, these women "have emerged with strong, resilient voices to share the details of their personal journeys." ''Refrigerator Mothers'' was awarded First Prize at the 2002 National Council of Family Relations Media Awards. The film won Best of Show at the 2002 Indiana Film Festival as well as named as an Official Selection to numerous international film festivals. ''Refrigerator Mothers'' was featured in a January 2010 issue of ''

Psychology Today ''Psychology Today'' is an American media organization with a focus on psychology and human behavior. It began as a bimonthly magazine, which first appeared in 1967. The ''Psychology Today'' website features therapy and health professionals direc ...

'' that focused on the racial and class stereotyping of autism."Bias, Bettelheim and Autism: Is History Repeating Itself?".
Soraya, Lynne. Psychology Today. 10 Jan. 2010. Retrieved 25 Jan. 2011.

References

External links

* 2003 television films 2003 films 2003 documentary films American documentary television films Documentary films about autism Documentary films about psychology POV (TV series) films Motherhood Kartemquin Films films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films {{autism-stub