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Dr. John Langdon Down
The doctor who first described Down's syndrome, Dr. John Langdon Down, researched mental retardation. The description he made of "developmental retardation" would describe individuals who would be diagnosed with Autism today. -
Eugen Bleuler
In 1911, Eugen Bleuler was the first to use the word "autism" in order to describe a symptom of schizophrenia. -
Therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy and dietary restrictions were used to treat autism in the 1920s. -
Eugene Minkowski
Eugene Minkowski, who was a student of Bleuler, defined Autism by describing it as the "trouble generator" of schizophrenia. -
The idea of "Autism" begins to change
Leo Kanner, who was living in the United States, began to conduct research that described individuals with social and emotional disabilities who were also showing withdrawn behaviors. Kanner referred to this as Kanner's syndrome, which was later known as Early Infantile Autism. -
Hans Asperger
Hans Asperger was a researcher in Germany who also researched individuals with social and emotional disabilities who showed withdrawn behaviors. Hans Asperger would name the condition Asperger's Syndrome. While Asperger's Syndrome and Kanner's Syndrome were similar, they were not identical. Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome had difficulty with social interactions, but had a stronger language ability and an above average understanding of highly technical knowledge. -
The "Refrigerator Mother Theory"
Leo Kanner proceeded to conduct another study where he observed a small group of children from well-educated families. Because of the small sample size and the selectiveness of the population the children came from, Kanner would make a false statement that children with Autism were "more likely to be born into highly intellectual families". During his study, he would describe the mothering style as "cold", which resulted in coining the term "refrigerator mother". -
Bruno Bettleheim
In the 1950s, Bruno Bettleheim said Autism was an emotional disorder that had developed because of psychological harm done to them by their mothers. Bettleheim wrote many books, magazine articles, and appeared during prime time television to discuss his theory. -
Bernard Rimland
Bernard Rimland was a father, who had a son with Autism, presented the first solid argument about where Autism came from. He stated that Autism is not related to a parent child bond, but instead it is a biological condition. Rimland founded the Autism Society of America so that parents could have a voice against the Refrigerator Mother Theory. -
The Autism Society of America
Bernard Rimland founded the Autism Society of America along with other parents of children with Autism. The focus was to increase awareness, advocate for appropriate services across the individual's lifetime and provide the latest information on treatment options and research. -
Medication
Pharmaceutical treatments for autism become the main treatment method in the 1970s. -
Different Types of Therapies
Shock therapy and aversive punishment become a mainstream treatment approach for those with autism during the 1970s. -
Progress in the 1970s
Eric Schopler and Robert Reichler both began to study the effects of parental involvement in the treatment of children with Autism. -
Treatment and Education of Autism and Related Communication Handicapped Children
Eric Schopler started the TEACCH program at the University of North Carolina. The TEACCH program provided training and other programs for individuals with Autism. -
The first published study with identical twins
Susan Folstein and Michael Rutter were researchers who conducted a study by using 21 same-sexed twins where at least one of the twins showed symptoms of infantile Autism. Folstein and Rutter concluded that a brain injury during the infancy period could lead to Autism on its own or in combination with genetic predisposition. However, uncertainty still remains on what is inherited and how it is inherited. -
Autism in current years
Autism was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Third Edition as "infantile autism". The addition made it possible for an accurate diagnosis of Autism and gave the ability for doctors to be able to easily differentiate Autism from schizophrenia. -
Change in the Verbage
The term "Autistic Disorder" replaced the term "Infantile Autism" which gave a more expansive explanation of the diagnosis. -
Ivar Lovass
Ivar Lovas developed a program of intensive behavioral therapy for children with autism. -
Autism in Schools
Schools began to serve students with Autism after the federal government decision to make Autism a special education category. -
Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified and Asperger's Syndrome
PDD-NOS and Asperger's Syndrome were added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). This manual is the main diagnostic reference of mental health professionals in the United States. -
National Alliance for Autism Research
The National Alliance for Autism Research was founded by parents of children with Autism. This was the first organization in the United States that was devoted to funding biomedical research that focused on Autism Spectrum Disorders. -
Cure Autism Now (CAN)
Jonathan Shestack and Portia Iversen founded Cure Autism Now in order to raise awareness and funding for Autism research. -
Autism Speaks
Bob and Suzanne Wright founded Autism Speaks in order to fund research, increase awareness, and advocate for the needs of individuals on the spectrum and their families. -
DSM-V
The DSM was updated after 19 years based on new literature and clinical experience. Changes were made to the Autism criteria and the diagnosis was then referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Sub diagnoses of Asperger's Syndrome and PDD-NOS along with others were no longer apart of the Autism diagnosis. New criteria now has only 2 areas to determine a diagnosis rather than 3. New areas are social communication/interaction and restricted and repetitive behavior.