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The History of Autism: From Pillar to Post

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Handbook of Autism and Anxiety

Part of the book series: Autism and Child Psychopathology Series ((ACPS))

Abstract

Contemporary historians of autism often start the story with Leo Kanner’s landmark paper of 1943. However, early case accounts suggest that the condition is not new. Since Kanner’s publication, autism has been a much debated topic. For many years, the debate focused on whether autism was a childhood variant of schizophrenia. Others asserted psychoanalytic underpinnings leading to the fateful suggestion that parents were somehow to blame for the condition. Early findings from twin studies and evaluation of large case series in the 1970s promoted the biological basis for autism. However, autism was not included in official diagnostic nomenclature until 1980. In the decades that have followed, accumulating evidence has supported a broader definition of autism as evidenced by the current label autism spectrum disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM 5). The modern era has also been fraught with controversy as parents have rightfully demanded better recognition and better treatment. These debates have often generated more friction than resolution. This chapter traces the history of autism to provide background for the many debates and controversies of the current era. The volatile tension of the past two decades appears to be giving way to greater collaboration between advocacy groups, governmental organizations, and the scientific community. This emerging collaboration may mobilize scarce resources toward better recognition and treatment for children with autism.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marcus Autism Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA

    Lawrence Scahill MSN, PhD

  2. Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Elizabeth Turin

  3. Marcus Autism Center, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Andrea Nichole Evans

Authors
  1. Lawrence Scahill MSN, PhD
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  2. Elizabeth Turin
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  3. Andrea Nichole Evans
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Correspondence to Lawrence Scahill MSN, PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Louisiana State University Department of Psychology, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

    Thompson E. Davis III

  2. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

    Susan W. White

  3. Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech Child Study Center, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

    Thomas H. Ollendick

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Scahill, L., Turin, E., Evans, A. (2014). The History of Autism: From Pillar to Post. In: Davis III, T., White, S., Ollendick, T. (eds) Handbook of Autism and Anxiety. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06796-4_1

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