Hmmm.. only invented in 1911? Just 100 years don’t trust this idea.
Second — autism, autos — self.
Don’t trust the recent
1944?
Hans Asberger
Asperger’s syndrome, named after Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger, has a distinct developmental history in terms of its identification, understanding, and classification within the broader spectrum of autism disorders.
Early Identification:
- Hans Asperger described the syndrome in 1944, independently of Leo Kanner’s work on autism. Asperger observed children in his practice who exhibited a distinct pattern of behaviors, including difficulties in social interaction, exceptional focus on specific interests, and often above-average intelligence.
- He referred to these children as having “autistic psychopathy,” emphasizing their social difficulties and unique cognitive abilities.
Development and Recognition:
- Asperger’s work initially didn’t receive much attention, especially outside the German-speaking world, partly due to the Second World War and the publication being in German.
- It wasn’t until the 1980s that his work began to gain recognition, primarily due to the efforts of British psychiatrist Lorna Wing. She coined the term “Asperger’s syndrome” and brought attention to the condition as distinct from Kanner’s autism.
- Wing’s work helped differentiate Asperger’s syndrome from Kanner’s autism by noting that children with Asperger’s often did not exhibit delays in language development, which was a key feature in Kanner’s description of autism.
Diagnostic Criteria and Controversies:
- Asperger’s syndrome was officially recognized in diagnostic manuals like the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition) and the ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision) in the 1990s.
- There has been ongoing debate about how Asperger’s syndrome differs from high-functioning autism. Some experts argue that the differences are not significant enough to warrant a separate diagnosis.
Recent Changes:
- In 2013, with the publication of the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition), Asperger’s syndrome was subsumed under the broader category of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This change was based on the view that autism is a spectrum, with varying degrees of symptom severity, rather than a set of distinct disorders.
- The reclassification has been both supported and criticized. Supporters argue that it helps simplify diagnoses and focuses on the spectrum nature of autism, while critics worry that it might lead to a lack of specialized support for those previously diagnosed with Asperger’s.
The history of Asperger’s syndrome reflects the evolving understanding of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders in general. It highlights the complexities in categorizing and diagnosing conditions that have a wide range of manifestations and degrees of severity.
Autism
The history and etymology of autism, as well as the development of the concept, present a fascinating journey through medical and psychological understanding.
Etymology:
- The term “autism” comes from the Greek word “autos,” meaning “self.” It was first used in this context by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1911. Bleuler used “autism” to describe a certain kind of self-absorbed thinking, characteristic of patients with schizophrenia.
Early Conceptualization:
- Initially, autism was not recognized as a distinct condition; it was seen as a form of childhood schizophrenia or a symptom of other psychological disorders.
- In the early 20th century, autism was primarily understood in terms of Bleuler’s work on schizophrenia.
Development of Autism as a Distinct Diagnosis:
- The understanding of autism as a unique condition began to take shape in the 1940s. Two pioneering psychiatrists, Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger, working independently, identified autism as a distinct syndrome.
- In 1943, Kanner published a landmark paper where he described 11 children with a unique set of behaviors, including difficulties in social interactions, a need for sameness, and a remarkable focus on the inanimate environment. He coined the term “early infantile autism.”
- Around the same time, Hans Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician, described a different form of autism, which would later be known as Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger’s observations included a pattern of behavior and abilities in children who exhibited social and communication difficulties but possessed a high level of skill or interest in a particular area.
Further Developments:
- Throughout the mid-20th century, there were various theories about the causes of autism, including psychogenic theories that blamed cold and distant parenting (the “refrigerator mother” theory). These theories were later debunked.
- In the 1960s and 1970s, autism began to be understood more as a neurodevelopmental condition.
- The 1980s and 1990s saw significant advances in the understanding of autism, with it being recognized as a spectrum of conditions (Autism Spectrum Disorder), reflecting a range of symptoms and severities.
Contemporary Understanding:
- Today, autism is understood as a complex, multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder. It’s recognized as having a strong genetic component, although the exact causes are still being researched.
- The criteria for diagnosing autism have evolved, focusing more on challenges in social communication and interaction, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior.
The understanding of autism has come a long way from its initial association with schizophrenia to a nuanced appreciation of the spectrum. This evolution reflects broader changes in the fields of psychology and psychiatry, as well as shifts in social attitudes towards mental health and neurodiversity.