Early Adolescent ASD: Historical Background
When Was It First Identified?
In his 1943 seminal work "Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact," psychiatrist Leo Kanner described autism as a distinct condition (Elias, 2024).
Kanner observed 11 children with similar behavioral patterns. He observed that these children had difficulty forming social connections and maintaining relationships (Rosen et al., 2021).
He also noted they had limited language skills and struggled with nonverbal communication (Rosen et al., 2021).
Kanner described repetitive behaviors such as hand flapping and body rocking (Rosen et al., 2021).
He also observed that these children had a strong need for sameness and resisted changes to routine (Rosen et al., 2021).
Why Does It Matter?
Kanner's paper was groundbreaking because it identified autism as a separate condition from other developmental disorders at that time (Elias, 2024).
It was a groundbreaking study that first raised awareness and understanding of the condition (Elias, 2024).
His work is widely cited and referenced today in subsequent research studies on autism (Elias, 2024).
Autism was considered to be very rare, with only 2-4 per 10,000 individuals affected. The current estimate according to the Center for Disease and Control are 1 in 68 (Christiansen et al., 2016).
For more on Leo Kanner's seminal work, watch this video.
Comments
Post a Comment