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The term "autism" is used for the first time.
Swiss psychiatrist, Eugen Bleuler, known mostly for his work with individuals with schizophrenia introduced the term "autism" ; he believed it to be a schizophrenic characteristic. Bleuler described these behaviors/thinking as "infantile wishes to avoid unsatisfying realities and then replace them with fantasies and hallucinations (Evans, 2013). -
Autism is "discovered" in the United States
Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins University publishes "Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact" and credited with "discovering"autism. He goes on categorize it as a social and emotional disorder, referring to it as early infantile autism because "it usually appeared within the first three years of life" (Shorter, 2013). -
Asperger's Syndrome is indentifed
Hans Asperger, Austrian pediatrician, is the first to describe what is know today as Asperger's Syndrome. He noted that, despite normal intelligence and language development, he observed some "autism-like behaviors and difficulties with social and communication skills in boys" (Autism Society, 2016). -
Parentectomy
As Bruno Bettleheim popularized the "refrigerator mother" theory, parentectomies were used as a form of treatment for autism. Children would be removed from their parents for an extended period of time to "reverse the defensive mechanism put in place by children of unloving mothers" (Applied Behavioral Analysis Programs Guide, 2018). -
Dawning of the "Refrigerator Mother"
Bruno Bettelheim; a professor and child development specialist at the University of Chicago. Also at the university is the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School, a residential treatment facility for children with behavior disorders, where Bettelheim served as director for over 30 years. He supports Kanner's theory that autism was a result of childhood trauma inflicted by mothers and widely publicized the term "refrigerator mother" due to a "genuine lack of maternal warmth". -
Aversive Punishments as treatments
During the 1970s, autism is still thought of as a behavioral disorder and not a complex genetic disorder. Using forms of punishment would "teach children to no longer exhibit extreme behaviors associated with the disorder such as disassociation and aggression" (Applied Behavioral Analysis Programs Guide, 2018). -
It's in the Genes!
A twin study is conducted by Susan Folstein and Michael Rutter; they conclude that autism is caused by "genetics and biological differences in brain development" (Applied Behavioral Analysis Programs Guide, 2018). -
Autism stands alone
Infantile autism is listed in the DSM-III and officially separated from childhood schizophrenia. -
Diagnostic criteria is established
Autism disorder replaces infantile autism in the DSM and includes a checklist for diagnostic criteria. -
Autism and Special Education
Autism is added to the list of special education categorizations. Children are now being identified and services are being offered. -
Expanding the spectrum
Asperger's Syndrome is included in the DSM creating more of a range from milder to more profound cases within the autistic spectrum. -
Baby step but moving forward
Programs designed specifically for children with autism begin to emerge. -
Establishing the "Umbrella"
The DSM-V rolls all subcategories of autism into one classification: autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
