Autism as a concept and term was first introduced in 1911 by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, who used it to describe a symptom of schizophrenia. However, autism as a distinct condition was not recognized until the 1940s. In 1943, American psychiatrist Leo Kanner published a seminal paper describing "early infantile autism" in children, distinguishing it from other conditions. Almost simultaneously, Austrian psychiatrist Hans Asperger described similar patterns in another group of children. The modern understanding of autism as a spectrum disorder developed later, particularly from the 1980s onward, with the recognition that autism manifests in diverse ways and varying severities.
Key Milestones in Autism History
- 1911: Term "autism" first used by Eugen Bleuler in the context of schizophrenia.
- 1920s: Early descriptions by Grunya Sukhareva of children displaying traits recognizable as autistic.
- 1943: Leo Kanner's landmark paper on "early infantile autism," establishing autism as a separate diagnosis.
- 1944: Hans Asperger described a similar condition now known as Asperger's syndrome.
- 1980s: Autism formally recognized as a spectrum of conditions in diagnostic manuals.
Evolution of the Diagnosis
Initially, autism was thought to be closely linked or a subset of childhood schizophrenia. Over time, research differentiated autism as a neurological developmental disorder rather than a psychiatric or emotional disorder caused by parenting style. The diagnosis evolved from narrowly defined criteria to the broader autism spectrum recognized today.
Early Autistic Traits in History
While autism was officially documented in the 20th century, it is likely that autistic individuals have existed throughout human history but were not recognized as such. Historical accounts of people with behaviors and traits now associated with autism existed, but without modern diagnostic tools, they were often labeled differently or misunderstood.
This timeline outlines when autism was first identified and how its concept evolved into the spectrum disorder known today.
