Note: This article is part of a series on the history of autism treatment.
The symptoms and characteristics of Autism have been present in our society for some time. It is true that the first diagnosis of early infantile autism was not shared until 1943, but before that time the disorder was labeled with other terminology. The definition of autistic symptoms ranged in its descriptions but it was assumed that individuals that presented the symptoms of Autism, would be labeled with ‘mental retardation’.
See Also: Who Was the First Person to be Diagnosed With Autism?
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Dr. Langdon Down and his Research of Mental Retardation
In 1877, Dr. John Langdon Down, the first person to describe Down’s Syndrome, researched mental retardation. He used the description of ‘developmental retardation’ to describe symptoms that would be similar to what we see in Autism patients today. This also led him to use the term ‘idiot savant’ to describe those clients that displayed the symptoms of autism but also the exceptional skills that would be considered ‘genius’. Many of the skills that were present are typically related to artistic, musical or mathematical brilliance.
Dr. Down’s Categories of Mental Retardation
Dr. Down had divided mental retardation into three categories. The first category was ‘congenital’, in which hereditary factors were most present in diagnosing mental retardation. This category made up a majority of his patients. The second category was termed ‘accidental’ in which injury or disease occurred late in the pregnancy, at birth or after birth. A third category was termed ‘developmental’, but was a category that included individuals that were also impossible to include in the other categories. They presented symptoms that were unlike the previous categories. The group of persons in this category displayed similar symptoms to what would be labeled as autistic today.
Autism and Schizophrenia
In 1911, Eugen Bleuler used the terminology ‘autistic’ to describe symptoms of schizophrenia. He also described those schizophrenic patients with autistic symptoms as having a withdrawal from reality. Autism has since been regarded as a separate distinction, apart from schizophrenia. It is considered to be on a continuum of various disorders that have overlapping neurodevelopmental and genetics charateristics, according to one hypothesis. However, another hypothesis claims that the two disorders, autism and schizophrenia, are very distinct according to genetic data. In reality, the conversation about various developmental disorders continues as we attempt to understand autism and its origin. In 1927, Eugene Minkowski, a student of Bleuler, further defined autism as the ‘trouble generator’ of schizophrenia. He described patients with this disorder as having a lack of connectedness or unity with people and thus created a disturbance in the structure of the self.
Autism as a Diagnosis
With all of the uses of the autistic terminology, the diagnosis of Autism did not occur until 1943 and then in 1944 by Hans Asperger. Kanner would call the discovery of his syndrome, Kanner’s Syndrome, or Early Infantile Autism. Asperger would call his discovery Asperger’s syndrome, in which there were similar symptoms to Kanner’s description of Autism. However, Asperger’s patients exhibited stronger language ability and above average intellectual understanding in addition to the similar characteristics of Autism.
Movement Toward the Positive
It is easy to see the movement toward a more accurate terminology of the diagnosis of Autism is a movement away from some of the more negative terminology of the past. Autism is very recognizable and is frequently a topic in the news cycle. Releasing some of the descriptions of Autism from the past can help us navigate the conversations in a welcoming manner for the future as we move toward inclusion for all people.
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FAQs
Before autism was known as autism, it was referred to by various names that often didn't capture the full spectrum of the condition. Terms like "childhood schizophrenia" and "infantile psychosis" were used, but they didn't provide a clear understanding of the unique characteristics of autism.
What was autism first described as? ›
The concept of autism was coined in 1911 by the German psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler to describe a symptom of the most severe cases of schizophrenia, a concept he had also created.
What are the previous names for ASD? ›
ASD encompasses previous diagnoses, including the four traditional diagnoses of autism–classic autism, Asperger syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)—and the range of diagnoses that included the word "autism".
Why did they change the name of autism? ›
The main reason Asperger's is no longer a diagnosis is because it's difficult to clearly differentiate it from autism spectrum disorder (ASD) reliably or with certainty. The symptoms of Asperger's were often indistinguishable from ASD, requiring minimal support, now known as ASD level 1.
What was autism called in 1943? ›
Kanner syndrome
The specific pattern of 'abnormal behaviour' first described by Leo Kanner is also known as 'early infantile autism'. Kanner made no estimate of the possible numbers of people with this condition but he thought that it was rare (Kanner, 1943).
When was autism first called autism? ›
The term "autism" itself was first used by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1911. Bleuler used the term to describe a symptom of schizophrenia, which he believed was a form of self-absorption. However, it was not until the 1940s that autism was recognized as a separate condition.
Where does autism come from? ›
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. Some people with ASD have a known difference, such as a genetic condition. Other causes are not yet known. Scientists believe there are multiple causes of ASD that act together to change the most common ways people develop.
What was autism called in the 1980s? ›
1980s and 1990s
In 1980, "infantile autism" was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and separated from childhood schizophrenia. By the late 1980s, the term in the DSM was changed to autism disorder and included a checklist of symptoms for diagnosing autism.
What is the new term for autism? ›
Until recently, experts talked about different types of autism, such as autistic disorder, Asperger's syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). But now they are all called “autism spectrum disorders.”
What is the politically correct term for autism? ›
In the autism community, many self-advocates and their allies prefer terminology such as “Autistic,” “Autistic person,” or “Autistic individual” because we understand autism as an inherent part of an individual's identity — the same way one refers to “Muslims,” “African-Americans,” “Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/ ...
On average, the data showed that siblings with autism share about 66 percent of their genetic material from their father. They only share about 30 percent from their mother. Siblings without autism share just about half of those percentages.
What is the exact opposite of autism? ›
Autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome are complex cognitive conditions exhibiting quite opposite features in the social domain: whereas people with autism spectrum disorders are mostly hyposocial, subjects with Williams syndrome are usually reported as hypersocial.
What is Aspergers now called? ›
The symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome are now included in a condition called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD is now the name used for a wide range of autism-like disorders. Some providers may still use the term Asperger's Syndrome, but others will say “ASD – without intellectual or language impairment." or autistic.
Why is autism so common now? ›
The CDC says more children are being diagnosed with autism than ever before. The rates may reflect growing awareness of autism spectrum disorder and a focus on getting more children into treatment. Other factors including air pollution, low birth weight, and stress may also be behind the increase in diagnoses.
What did they call autism in the 40s? ›
In the 1930s and 1940s, Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner described two related syndromes, later termed infantile autism and Asperger syndrome. Kanner thought that the condition he had described might be distinct from schizophrenia, and in the following decades, research into what would become known as autism accelerated.
Who was the first autistic person in history? ›
In 1943, Donald Triplett was the first-ever person to be formally diagnosed with autism.
What was autism called in the 1800s? ›
In 1877, British doctor John Down used the term developmental retardation to describe conditions including what would be considered autism today.
How was autism viewed in the past? ›
Professionals commonly held the view that “refrigerator mothers” were responsible for the symptoms observed in these children. Deficits in the children's functioning were assumed to be linked to poor attachment and/or absentee parenting (Bettleheim, 1967).
Who first described autism in 1943? ›
In 1943, Leo Kanner published the first systematic description of early infantile autism. He concluded that this was a neurodevelopmental disorder and that 'these children have come into the world with an innate inability to form the usual, biologically provided contact with people'.
