10.2: The History of ASD
- Page ID
- 178860
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In 1980, the APA officially acknowledged autism as a disorder. In 1990, the IDEA included autism as a disability category. However, multiple editions of the APA DSM since 1980 have significantly changed the diagnosis of autism and related disorders over time. In 1980, the DSM-III established the diagnosis of autism. However, based on a growing body of research, this diagnosis was eventually expanded to include related disorders such as Asperger’s syndrome, PDD–NOS, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rhett syndrome.
In the 1990s, researchers attempted to find specific sets of genes that contributed to each of these disorders. Instead, they found hundreds of genes that contributed to autism symptoms. Therefore, the DSM-IV changed the diagnosis of autism and related disorders to an all-inclusive diagnosis of autism with symptoms that ranged from mild to severe. Finally, the DSM-V introduced the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and removed all related disorders. This was a controversial change, and many individuals diagnosed with related disorders such as Asperger’s syndrome were afraid of losing their identities and the medical and behavioral health benefits their diagnoses provided (Zeldovich, 2018; Smiley et al., 2022).
Directions: The Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger has long been recognized as a pioneer in the study of autism. However, it is now indisputable that Asperger collaborated in the murder of children with disabilities in Nazi-era Vienna. Read Hans Asperger, National Socialism, and “race hygiene” in Nazi-era Vienna by Herwig Czech.
Zeldovich, L. (2018, May 9). The evolution of “autism” as a diagnosis, explained. Spectrum. https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/evolution-autism-diagnosis-explained/
Smiley, L. R., Richards, S.B., & Taylor, R. (2022). Exceptional students: Preparing teachers for the 21st century (4th ed.). McGraw Hill.