| There have been many conditions thought history | | | | from the home and placed with others to see if |
| that have been mistaken for something else, and | | | | they would 'recover.' |
| before the human mind was understood, many | | | | It wasn't until the 1960s when the disorder was |
| with mental disabilities were placed in jail. They | | | | finally being studied and understood for what it |
| were deemed a threat and were then heavily | | | | really is and the impacts it has on a person. The |
| medicated. Today, we have a greater | | | | finger pointing at parents of autistic children |
| understanding of what some people go through, | | | | reduced as understanding grew, but there was |
| and although different from everyone else, we | | | | and still is in some cases a lot of misinformation |
| know there is an underlying reason for it. We | | | | about autism, and many parents feel the need to |
| know do our best to help people like this instead | | | | defend themselves, as if they've 'done something' |
| of persecuting them. When looking back through | | | | to their child. |
| the history of autism, it is obvious that though it | | | | Higher functioning autistic children and adults are |
| was given a name in the early part of the 1900s, | | | | often said to have Asperger's. This condition was |
| it was largely misunderstood by people for a long | | | | documented by Hans Asperger in 1944, but was |
| time. | | | | not something that gained wider awareness until |
| Some believe that autism was first noticed as a | | | | later in the 1980s. He described this condition as |
| condition around 1911, but it wasn't really anything | | | | 'autistic psychopaths' and some of the blame was |
| other than a theory at that time. A Swiss | | | | put on the mothers of these children, claiming that |
| psychiatrist by the name of Eugen Bleuler is | | | | they were cold and heartless. Though we know |
| thought to be the first to use the term. The | | | | today that this is not true, it was widely accepted |
| word 'autism' meant 'an escape from reality' and | | | | at the time. |
| was based on behaviors he observed in adults | | | | Since then, PDD (pervasive development disorder) |
| and it was attributed to schizophrenia. Though | | | | has been studied and is now more understood. |
| that was false and misleading, it was a step closer | | | | PDD is a blanket term for the spectrum of |
| to putting a name to a condition that was largely | | | | autistic disorders that are now known today. |
| misunderstood. | | | | The history of autism is a rough one, but that can |
| New information was found from one of the | | | | be said about many of the conditions that affect |
| earliest recorded studies of children with autism. | | | | the mind and the personality. Though more |
| From 1938 to the year 1943, a doctor by the | | | | understanding exists today, there is much that is |
| name of Leo Kanner studied the behaviors of | | | | still misunderstood. |
| eleven autistic children. The children he chose to | | | | Perhaps the most important thing is that parents |
| study were ones that seem to withdraw from | | | | are no longer blamed for the conditions of autism, |
| interaction with others as early as age one. The | | | | and that more treatments are available to help a |
| type of autism that he recorded and named was | | | | child with this condition. Recently thinking suggests |
| what would be considered 'classic autism' and is | | | | Autism is an auto-immune condition, and that it |
| often referred to as Kanner's Syndrome. | | | | can be genetic. There is no cure, but there are |
| These children were thought to have different | | | | programs that can increase communication and |
| characteristics than those classified as mentally | | | | socialization skills in some children and adults. |
| retarded. However, at this time it was still largely | | | | Hopefully by understanding the history of autism |
| misunderstood. Some believed parents were to | | | | we can take steps to progress treatment |
| blame, and these children were often removed | | | | programs further. |