This work investigates the biological and neurological origins of infantile autism, challenging the prevailing mid-century psychoanalytic theories that attributed the condition to parental behavior. Bernard Rimland, a psychologist with a background in psychometrics, synthesizes clinical observations and available research to argue that autism is a distinct, biologically-based disorder of the central nervous system. He proposes a neural theory of behavior that shifts the focus from environmental conditioning to innate cognitive and physiological dysfunction.

This text is regarded as a pivotal document in the history of autism research for its role in dismantling the dominant psychogenic theories of the time. Its clinical focus and rejection of parental blame established a new trajectory for the scientific study of neurodevelopmental disorders.