Brief History of Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger are credited with separately identifying autism as a distinct group of symptoms in the 1940s. Kanner (1943), an American psychiatrist, wrote in-depth case studies of 11 children with characteristics that would fit the current definitions of autism, and that he believed comprised a disorder unique from others including mental retardation and schizophrenia. He called this disorder early infantile autism. The characteristics included (a) difficulties relating to others, (b) language delays, such as inability to develop speech, echolalia, and literal interpretation of language; and (c) unusual behaviors, such as obsessions, insistence on routine and sameness, and self-stimulatory behaviors. Kanner’s work sparked interest in the disorder and lead to further research on characteristics and treatment.

At about the same in Germany, Asperger (1944) described children who demonstrated social deficits similar and maybe milder than those in children with autism, but who had average or better cognitive functioning. Asperger’s work was largely ignored outside of Germany until recently.

Wing (1981) rediscovered Asperger’s research and hypothesized that the characteristics he was describing were a subtype of Kanner’s autism. She described over 30 additional individuals with characteristics similar to those identified by Asperger.