Lauretta Bender

Lauretta Bender (August 9, 1897–January 4, 1987) was an American child neuropsychiatrist known for developing the Bender-Gestalt Test, a psychological test designed to evaluate visual-motor maturation in children. First published by Bender in 1938, the test became a widely used for assessing children's neurological function and screening for developmental disorders.

She performed research in the areas of autism spectrum disorders in children (formerly "childhood schizophrenia"), suicide and violence, and was one of the first researchers to suggest that mental disorders in children might have a neurological basis, rather than attributing them to the child's bad behavior or poor upbringing. Because she was not trained as a psychologist, but rather as a medical doctor and psychiatrist, most of her work focused on diagnosing mental disorders in children. She also served as the head of the children's psychiatric service at Bellevue Hospital for 21 years starting in 1934.

Bender was born in Butte, Montana to parents John Oscar Bender and Katherine Irvine Bender. Bender had a difficult time in school when she was young, and even had to repeat the first grade three times. She often reversed her letters when reading and writing which led people to believe she had some form of mental retardation. Her father helped her overcome her dyslexia and she often credited him for making her a strong individual Her family moved often and she attended high school in Los Angeles where she graduated as valedictorian of her high school class.

Bender earned a B.A. in 1922 and M.A. in 1923 from the University of Chicago. She completed her M.D. at State University of Iowa Medical School in 1926, and this is where she wrote her first scientific publication; Hematological Studies on Experimental Tuberculosis of the Guinea Pig. After graduation she spent some time studying overseas, completed an internship at the University of Chicago and conducted research at Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic of Johns Hopkins Hospital. Bender held internships and residencies at Billings Hospital of the University of Chicago, the Boston Psychopathic Hospital, the University of Amsterdam, and the Johns Hopkins University Hospital, held a Rockefeller Traveling Fellowship that took her to Holland. When she returned to the United States she worked at the Boston Psychopathic Hospital.

Bender met Paul Schilder M.D., Ph.D (1886–1940) at Johns Hopkins Hospital while writing a publication with him. Schilder was a psychoanalyst from Vienna at the same time as famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. While working together, Bender and Schilder fell in love. Schilder was already married and eleven years older than Bender. In 1930 Bender moved to New York with Schilder. They were married in 1936 after Schilder was divorced Bender and Schilder had three children together before Schilder was hit by a car and killed. After his death, Bender continued to translate and publish his work. Bender did not remarry until the age of 70 to Henry B. Parkes, Ph.D. Parkes was a history professor at New York University. He died in 1973, five years after their marriage.

...
Wikipedia