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.^{[citation needed]} First published by Bender in 1938, the test became 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, suicide and violence.^{[citation needed]} She 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.^{[citation needed]}