Infantile Autism

Bernard Rimland (1928-2006), Ph.D., was a psychologist and founder of the Autism Society of America and the Autism Research Institute. After diagnosing his own son with autism, he undertook extensive research into its causes, eventually publishing Infantile Autism in 1964. The book shattered the then-accepted myth that autism was an emotional disorder caused by refrigerator mothers and gave hope to thousands of autistic children and their parents. The thesis was so ground-breaking that it won The Century Psychology Series Award for its significant contribution to the field of psychology. Having dedicated nearly 50 years of his life to autism, Dr. Rimland's contributions to the field go well beyond this book. His work has improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals with autism and their families. Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D., is the director of the Autism Research Institute (ARI). Active in the field of autism for over 35 years, he was named director of ARI in 2006 after the passing of autism pioneer and advocate, Dr. Bernard Rimland. Dr. Edelson has conducted research in a variety of areas comprising behavior, biomedical, sensory issues, and cognition; he has published peer-reviewed research articles with many notables in the autism field, including Drs. Bernard Rimland, Ivar Lovaas, Temple Grandin, Melvin Kaplan, and Margaret Bauman. Dr. Edelson is the consulting editor for the research journal Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. He is a participant on the Panel of Professional Advisors for the Autism Society of America (ASA). He is a former ASA Board member and a past president of the Autism Society of Oregon.