Exploring autism's history with Marga Vicedo

Marga Vicedo, an expert in the history and philosophy of science, is delivering two free public talks on the history of autism at the Toronto Public Library November 13 and 27.

The talks are part of the University of Toronto's science engagement program. Organized by Professor Ray Jayawardhana, the U of T president’s senior advisor on science engagement, and Professor Craig Fraser, director of U of T's Institute for the History & Philosophy of Science & Technology, the series brings U of T researchers to the Library to share their expertise. Speakers have included Brian Baigrie on Sir Isaac Newton and Janis Langins on ballooning during the Enlightenment and the French Revolution.

U of T News asked Vicedo about her research and what Toronto Public Library audiences can expect to learn about autism.

Tell us a bit about your work.

I am a philosopher and historian of science. I am interested in the history of biology, especially evolution, animal behaviour and genetics in the twentieth century. I examine both the development of those fields and the uses of ideas from those fields to inform our views about human nature, behaviour and emotions.

Currently, I am working on a book about the history of autism focused on the United States. I am also starting to research the history of autism in Canada. To understand the importance and significance of this condition, both in historical perspective and in the present, we need more comparative work. There is much to be done on the history of autism in Canada. I am now teaching a Research Opportunities Program course on this topic. My students and I are planning to develop a website to showcase the work that different groups are doing in diverse areas (medical, psychological, educational) in Canada. We hope to network with those groups and help in building bridges between those individuals interested in autism research. 

What drew you to this field?

I became interested in the history of autism through my previous work on the history of scientific views about children’s emotional needs and maternal love. I published a book this year entitled, The Nature and Nurture of Love: From Imprinting to Attachment in Cold War America (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2013). Here I examine how after WWII, a variety of scientists focused on the role of emotions in human behaviour and the emotional development of children. I critically examine the history of attachment theory, and specifically how its developers borrowed ideas from animal research to support their views about the essential and determinant role of maternal care and love in a child’s psychological development. I conclude that turning love for mother and mother love into biological instincts had negative consequences for mothers. Attachment theory has benefited from the "halo effect" of its biological foundation, but my historical analysis shows that the scientific evidence in support of attachment theory is insufficient and often flawed.

This study led me to autism because, when autism was first identified and studied in the 1940s and 1950s, many scholars believed that children became autistic as a result of maternal rejection. So-called "refrigerator mothers" made their children retreat into autistic walls as an emotional defence.  I then decided to investigate the history of autism further.

What drew you to U of T?

I came to the University of Toronto to work at the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IHPST). Here, we believe that the dialogue between scientists, historians and philosophers is key to investigating the nature of scientific knowledge and its social implications. As a philosopher and historian of science, this interdisciplinary approach is very important to me. That’s why I came. I stay because, in addition to my home department, I have found that not only is U of T an excellent university, but it is also a nurturing environment for advancing initiatives to reach diverse students. I believe U of T really cares about offering a good education and about developing research that matters and improves our world. So, I came for a job and I stay for my dream of contributing a bit to the goals of IHPST, Victoria College and the University of Toronto. It is a privilege to be a member of such a community.

Why should students today study this area?

This is a very interesting area of study for several reasons. First, there is still much to be done. Thus, what they find will be important to increasing our understanding of this condition and the way it has been conceptualized through history, its impact on people’s lives, and its significance for current developments in science and social policy. Second, students with different interests can find something exciting to explore. If they are interested in literature, they can examine the memoirs and other works written by autistic people and their family members. They can also explore how autism is portrayed in fiction. If students are interested in science, they can explore how autism is now being approached in neurology and genetics.

Both what we find out about genetic function and about brain development will illuminate our understanding of autism, and what we uncover about autism will advance the important quest to understand how our biology affects our minds and influences our behaviours and emotions. If students are interested in sociology or anthropology, they can explore how the condition has been given meaning in different societies and how different cultures categorize and treat autism in different ways. I could go on… but you can see why I believe the study of autism can be a meeting place for many of us who have different research interests but share the common goal to comprehend the human condition better.

What can people expect to hear at the Toronto Public Library?

I will present an overview of major developments in the history of autism since it was identified as a distinct condition. I will focus on some important historical figures such as psychiatrist Leo Kanner, psychoanalyst Bruno Bettelheim, psychologist Bernard Rimland, writer Clara Park and ethologist Niko Tinbergen, to examine major changes in the way we have conceptualized autism and how that conceptualization has affected our views about emotions, and the role of experience and expertise in understanding child development. Then, I will present some of the puzzles and questions we still grapple with today as well as a few of the current approaches and people working in this field in Canada.

Why is science engagement important?

Today, science and technology shape our lives more than ever. Most of our beliefs and practices in a variety of realms, from food consumption to child rearing, are strongly influenced by scientific research. Science has shaped our views about religion, politics, health and climate change, to name only a few areas. We can hardly function in our daily lives without some understanding of science: to read the newspaper, to evaluate the conflicting claims we hear about vaccines, climate change or genetically-modified food. We cannot become experts in all areas, but we must reach some level of scientific literacy. We need to develop the critical skills necessary to navigate our world without accepting or rejecting the views of scientific experts prior to adequate analysis and reflection.