Why were the psychoanalytically-based explanations of autism, such as those of Bettelheim and Mahler, taken seriously in the 1950s and 1960s?

Discussion Question:

(Answer the following question below)

Why were the psychoanalytically-based explanations of autism, such as those of Bettelheim and Mahler, taken seriously in the 1950s and 1960s?

Why have psychoanalytic/psychotherapeutic approaches to understanding autism (see, for example, Tustin, 1981/1995, 1991) continued to have a role in treating children and adults with ASD and supporting their families?

Why were the psychoanalytically-based explanations of autism, such as those of Bettelheim and Mahler, taken seriously in the 1950s and 1960s?
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