Elizabeth Newson

Professor Elizabeth Ann Newson OBE (April 8, 1929 – February 6, 2014) was a British developmental psychologist recognised for her work with children on the autism spectrum. She proposed the condition Pathological demand avoidance in 1980.

Elizabeth Newson
Born
Elizabeth Ann Palmer

April 8, 1929
Highgate
DiedFebruary 6, 2014
NationalityUnited Kingdom
Occupationdevelopmental psychologist
Known for"work with children on the autism spectrum"
Spouse(s)John Newson

Life

Newson was born in Highgate to Mary and Richard Palmer. She was the first of their four children.[1] Her parents were committed socialists and they took in a Jewish girl who had been sent for safety from Germany. Later they gave a home to her parents as well.[2]

She married John Newson and in 1955 they had their first child who had very disruptive sleep patterns. Parenting manuals and academic articles, to which they had easy access, were of little use in explaining their child's behaviour so they set out to investigate this themselves. Using their own funds they arranged interviews with 700 families. Health workers helped but Elizabeth conducted 200 interviews herself and her husband spent many hours creating punch cards in the computer centre at Nottingham University to enable the data to be processed. The interviews were conducted without judgement and they recorded what the parents wanted to say.[3]

The Child Development Research Unit opened in 1958 at Nottingham University with Newson and her husband as joint directors.[2]

In 1965 their studies led to "Patterns of Infant Care in an Urban Community" being published by Penguin.[4] In 1967 they founded the Child Development Research Unit at the University of Nottingham. Their work placed particular emphasis on toys and learning through play, as well as on the needs of children with conditions such as autism.[5] In 1968 she and a group of parents formed "Autism East Midlands" to support assistance for families around Nottingham.[6]

In 1980 she proposed the term Pathological demand avoidance[7] to describe people who do not want to co-operate with instructions even when this would be in their own interest. She had identified a group of children who had this characteristic and they would "avoid everyday demands and expectations to an extreme extent".[8]

The work of Elizabeth and John Newson emphasised that social class and cultural influences created a range of beliefs about childrearing. Their work did not fit into established academic categories: psychologists considered it too sociological and sociologists too psychological.[3]

In 1993 the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health made her an honorary fellow [2] and the following year the In 1994 the Early Years Diagnostic Centre was renamed the Elizabeth Newson Centre.[9] Five years later she was given an OBE for her work with children on the autism spectrum in the 1999 New Year Honours.[2]

Death and legacy

Newson died in 2014.

In 2018 "her" "Autism East Midlands" charity celebrated 50 years of achievements[6] and her and her husband's work studying 11 year olds, "Childhood into Adolescence: Growing up in the 1970s" was eventually published. New sections were added and it was published with Peter Barnes and Susan Gregory as editors.[9]

Private life

She married John Newson and they had several children. John died in 2010.[3]

Works
  • Patterns of Infant Care in an Urban Community[4]
  • Four Years Old in An Urban Community (1968)
  • Seven Years Old in the Home Environment (1976) and
  • Perspectives On School at Seven Years Old (1977)
  • Pathological demand avoidance syndrome: a necessary distinction within the pervasive developmental disorders (2003) lead author[7]
  • Childhood into Adolescence: Growing up in the 1970s (2018)
gollark: I conjure additional footwear, d6.
gollark: Maybe it was a decoy spike.
gollark: Hmm.
gollark: I conjure additional spike-proof footwear, d6.
gollark: OH NO.

References
  1. "Newson [née Palmer], Elizabeth Ann (1929–2014), developmental psychologist". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.109438. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  2. "Elizabeth Newson obituary". the Guardian. 2014-02-20. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  3. Lewis, Charlie (2010-06-14). "John Newson obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  4. Newson, John; Newson, Elizabeth (1965). Patterns of Infant Care in an Urban Community. Penguin Books.
  5. "Where are they now? University researchers hunt for the 'Newson Children' of 1950s Nottingham". ITV News. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  6. "Autism East Midlands Celebrating Success Awards 2018". Autism East Midlands. 2018-06-18. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  7. Newson E, Le Maréchal K, David C (July 2003). "Pathological demand avoidance syndrome: a necessary distinction within the pervasive developmental disorders". Arch. Dis. Child. 88 (7): 595–600. doi:10.1136/adc.88.7.595. PMC 1763174. PMID 12818906.
  8. "PDA (Pathological demand avoidance) - National Autistic Society". www.autism.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  9. Newson, John; Newson, Elizabeth (2018-10-25). Barnes, Peter; Gregory, Susan (eds.). Childhood into Adolescence: Growing up in the 1970s (1 ed.). Routledge.
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