In Memoriam

Bernard Rimland, Ph.D. 1928 – 2006

Bernard Rimland was a brave man having problems, because he was an un- who faced up to the threat of losing a child consolable infant. There was no diagnosis. to terrible illness. He marshalled all his was described in the decade prior energy and all his wit to save that child. to Mark’s birth but still mostly unknown to From the adversity emerged a true hero practising clinicians. Bernie had completed of our age and the greatest champion of graduate work in psychology at autism the world will ever know. Bernie State University 5 years prior but had not contoured the science of autism and its heard of autism. By power of observation, treatment, and he inspired a vast move- he correctly diagnosed Mark’s condition ment which perpetuates his work. from one of Gloria’s college textbooks. For fifty years Bernie toiled in autism, The couple found that the medical every day, always very late at night. As community had nothing to offer in terms first-generation immigrants from Russia, of treatment. They objected strenuously to his parents undoubtedly expected hard the prevailing doctrine that cold, unfeel- work from Bernie and his sister. It is hard ing “refrigerator mothers” were the cause to imagine that Bernie did not exceed their of the autistic child’s social withdrawal. expectations. Bernie became a fact-finder, gathering Over the five decades he took but one information from doctors and libraries abbreviated vacation with his devoted around the world. spouse, Gloria. Incredibly, for the first 28 Publication of his first book Infantile years of Bernie’s immersion in autism, all Autism: The Syndrome and Its Implications the work was done in the evenings and for a Neural Theory of Behavior forever on weekends, outside his full-time job as changed our view of autism. Henceforth, psychometric analyst for the autism could be viewed as a cognitive Navy in San Diego. disorder, with biological roots. Bernie freed Bernie and Gloria understood from autism from Freud. the very first that their son Mark was After publication of the book, legions

191 Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine Vol. 21, No. 4, 2006 of parents contacted Bernie to share in- educational treatment of choice for autistic formation about their autistic children, children. including response to therapies. In 1967, Bernie coached Dustin Hoffman in his he founded the nonprofit Institute for autistic role in the Academy Award-win- Child Behavior Research (now the Autism ning motion picture, “Rain Man.” Unafraid Research Institute, ARI) to act as a clear- of controversy, he reported an alarming ing-house for information about autism. increase in the incidence of autism over Bernie decided to join hands with the the decades, as well as a shift in the type parent community and drive the science of autism, towards proportionately more from the grassroots. He would learn from regressed autism and fewer early-onset the parents what seemed to be helping cases. Only recently have the institutional their children and focus research in these opinion-makers embraced what Bernie areas. In retrospect, injecting parents into insisted for years—autism is an epidemic, the science of autism was one of Bernie affecting 1 in 166 children in the United Rimland’s most important contributions. States. For Bernie, the increasing incidence ARI, which now enjoys the leadership of of autism and its changing profile implied Bernie’s dear friend and colleague, Stephen one or more environmental triggers. Edelson, grew into a worldwide network of He spoke out bravely about autism parents and professionals sharing data and after childhood vaccination, including pooling funds for the diagnosis, treatment vaccines preserved with mercury. and scientific investigation of autism. The Of all the things written about Bernie, ARI quarterly, Autism Research Interna- one account, published in the San Diego tional reaches 8,000 subscribers in fifty Jewish Journal in 2002, cuts to the man’s countries. core: “My mother used to tell me about one Bernie co-founded a highly-successful of her brothers, who was a mathematical companion organization, DAN! (Defeat genius. During the war (World War I), Autism Now!) which educates thousands an elderly Jewish gentleman was being of parents and professionals each year in harassed by German soldiers. My uncle biomedical treatments for autism. interceded because he couldn’t stand the Bernie was interested in any treatment injustice. The soldiers beat him and left which was observed to improve symptoms him there, bleeding to death. My mother in autism. Since 1967, he served on the would finish this story by telling me, ‘So Editorial Board of the Journal of Orthomo- don’t be like him!’ Instead, it inspired lecular Medicine, where he published several me to fight injustice.” There it is: Bernie articles. He credited Hoffer’s successes with the defender, protecting the children and vitamin therapy in psychotic adults as the families against the mighty injustice of impetus for megavitamin trials in autism. autism. Until death. Bernie became an advocate of vitamin B6 Bernard Rimland had greatness. He and magnesium, which were established was fundamentally humble, and his hu- as effective in a long series of randomized mility was graced with such warmth and clinical trials. He lectured six times from humor. He enjoyed a free mind, meaning 1979–1996 at the annual international Nu- that he was able to believe what he saw, tritional Medicine Today Conference. rather than seeing what was believed at Bernie created the National Society the time. His courage was intrepid. He for Autistic Children, now known as the loved his wife, Gloria, sons Mark and Paul Autism Society of America. He promoted of San Diego, and daughter Helen Landalf a treatment known as Applied Behavioral of Seattle. His compassion extended to the Analysis (ABA), which has become the multitudes, and will echo through time.

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