Autism was official discovered 60 years ago. Although still puzzling to many, professionals are learning more about autism everyday.
Some facts:
- Early accounts of individuals with autism are unclear
- The concept and definition of autism has greatly changed over the years
- Socio-political views as well as treatment available has evolved and continues to grow
- Symptoms may have been confused with schizophrenia in the past
Timeline:
- 1960s-Michael Rutter’s comparative study comparing the features of autism
- 1960s-1970s: Kolvin distinguished autism from schizophrenia
- 1970-Hermelin and O’Connor explored the “savant”
- 1971- first association of autism as a specific medical condition (Stella Chess was the first to discover that autism can be associated with a neurological disease)
- 1975- US Developmental Disability Act included individuals with autism
- 1981- Lorna Wing’s seminal paper discusses Asperger’s Syndrome
- 2000-Gillberg added to the knowledge of epidemiology, genetics, and clinical management
Early Accounts/History Records:
- Book: Autism in History by Rob Houston (discusses the legal case of Uta Frith’s analysis of Hugh Blair in 1747)
- The story of Victor “the wild boy of Aveyron” in 1798 with Jean Itard
- Paper: Observations on Madness and Melancholy chapter entitled “Cases on insane children” by John Haslam (discusses a boy with characteristics of autism published in 1809)
- Book: The Pathology of the Mind chapter entitled “The insanity of early life” by Henry Maudsley (discusses a 13 year boy who shares similar characteristics of an individuals with Aspergers in 1879)
- Ssucharewa’s account of six children in Germany during 1926
- Hans Aspergers’s account of four children in 1949
- Lorna Wing’s seminal paper in 1981
Outdated Ideas/Theories
- Autism is caused by bad parenting
- Autism is among the group of schizophrenia (we now know that autism is a developmental disorder rather than a psychosis)
- Autism is secondary to language disorders
Interesting Facts:
- Over 50% of children with autism are taking drugs/vitamins in the US (not the case in the UK)
Journals:
- The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (started in 1971 by Kanner and Chess)
- Focus on Autism and other Developmental Disabilities (started in 1985)
- The International Autism Research Review (started in 1987)
- International Journal of Research and Practice (started in 1997)
- Good Autism Practice (started in 2001)
Current Books to Read:
- “Pretending to be Normal” by Liane Willey
- “Growing up Severely Autistic” by Kate Rankins
- “An Inside View Of Autism” by Temple Grandin
- “Freaks, Geeks, and Aspergers Syndrome” by Luke Jackson
Reference:
Wolff, S. (2004). The history of autism. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 13(4), 201-8. doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy.bsu.edu/10.1007/s00787-004-0363-5