What you learned in school
Psychology textbooks taught that autism was caused by emotionally distant "refrigerator mothers" who failed to provide proper maternal warmth and bonding. Students learned that cold, rejecting mothers created autistic children through poor parenting. This theory blamed mothers for their children's autism and suggested that warmer, more attentive parenting could prevent or cure the condition.
What we know now
Psychology textbooks taught that autism was caused by emotionally distant "refrigerator mothers" who failed to bond properly with their children. Students learned about poor parenting as the root cause of autistic behaviors. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition with strong genetic components and differences in brain structure and function. The "refrigerator mother" theory was based on poor research methodology and caused tremendous guilt and blame for parents. Modern research focuses on genetic factors, prenatal development, and neurological differences rather than parenting styles. The theory has been completely discredited.