Sofie Madsen

Maren Sofie Madsen (30 December 1897, Meløse—9 February 1982, Roskilde) was a Danish teacher and school principal who is remembered for her pioneering work with autistic children.

In 1956, Madsen published Hvad børnene lærte mig (What the Children Taught Me) followed by two other works documenting her experiences.

[1] In 1922, Madsen was hired by Thora Constantin-Hansen who had opened a small Montessori school in Himmelev near Roskilde.

From 1924, she began to care for a couple of autistic children, slowly attracting a few more until in 1926 she moved into Havrekilde, a small property attached to Rødkilde Højskole.

In 1933, additional funding allowed her to extend the building into an orphanage for 14 children, while in 1938 the authorities granted psychiatric supervision.

In 1956, Madsen published Hvad børnene lærte mig (What the Children Taught Me) followed by two other works documenting her experiences.