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 […]