History

=Return to Home Page= =History of Autism=

The word “autism” was first used in the beginning of the twentieth century by Eugen Bleuler, who was a psychiatrist from Switzerland. The word autism referred to those who had isolated themselves, and came from the Greek word “autos”, which means “self”. Bleuler used this term around 1911 to refer to a group of people who showed schizophrenic symptoms (WebMD, 2009).

However, the use of the word “autism” as a classification of people was first used by Dr. Leo Kanner in 1943, a psychologist from Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Kanner described this classification of autism as those with distinct behavioral similarities and being socially withdrawn from society (K-12 Academics, 2009). He published his first paper on autism in the journal //Nervous Child// titled “Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact”. In this article, Kanner described the behavior of 11 children with autism, describing one as “He seems to be self-satisfied. He has no apparent affection when petted. He does not observe the fact that anyone comes or goes, and never seems glad to see father or mother or any playmate. He seems almost to draw into his shell and live within himself” (Best Behavior Consulting, 2009, p. 1). At this time, most individuals with autism lived in institutions (National Autism Center, 2009), and would be described as having metal retardation or emotional disturbance (Autism Resources, 2009).

A year later in 1944, Hans Asperger from Vienna, Austria described another disability similar to autism, which he named after himself. (Autism World, 2009). Asperger Syndrome was the label given to children who appeared to have normal IQs, but had deficits in social skills and non-verbal communication. According to Aspergers paper “Autistic Psychopathy in Childhood”, these children seemed to be clumsy, were only interested in one communication topic, and lacked empathy with other children (Wikipedia, 2009).

Also in 1944, an American by the name of Bruno Bettelheim was studying the field of autism. He believed there was a parental aspect involved which he called “refrigerator mothers” (Williams, 2000). In Bettleheim’s work //The Empty Fortress//, he wrote about the distant and cold mothers of children with autism (Certec, 2009). Instead of understanding that autism is a neurological disability, Bettelheim wrongly blamed parents for their child’s autistic disorder (Enzine Articles, 2010).

In 1964, Bernard Rimland from California wrote the book, //Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and It’s Implication for a Neural Theory of Behavior//, in which he argued against Bettelheim’s theories about blaming parents for having autistic children. Rimland wrote about biological and neurological aspects regarding autism as well as looked at research for possible causes for brain and immune dysfunction symptoms (Autism Facts, 2006). The following year Rimland founded the Autism Society in efforts to continue research in the field of autism (Autism Society, 2009).

Not long after B.F. Skinner wrote his book //Science and Human Behavior// in 1953, Ole Ivar Lovaas from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) began working with young children with autism using behavioral principles. Lovaas used the experimental design of behavior analysis on children under five years of age. He “placed the implementation of treatment in the child’s own home and increased the intensity…to about 40 hours weekly. In one of Lovaas’ studies, 47% of the children in the study (9 children) made remarkable progress to the point of becoming ‘recovered’, while a further 42% (8 children) made significant improvements” (Best Behaviour Consulting, 2009, p. 2). As a result of this study, 11% of the children did not make gains or made very little gains (Best Behaviour Consulting, 2009).

Since that time, behavior analysis has become an increasingly studied field and is more commonly known today as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Schools have been using a variety of strategies to meet the needs of students with autism. Classrooms have made environmental changes and have become very structured to increase student learning (Ministry of Education, 2000). Visual schedules have been used to help students make transitions easier throughout their day (Willis, 2006). Sensory integration has been used to meet the sensory needs of children with autism. Quiet areas have been set up in efforts to have a place to calm down when students are upset. Social stories have been written and frequently read to students to help with social and behavioral problems that arise. Some classrooms work on community and daily living skills. Teachers and speech therapists have used alternative and augmentative communication strategies that assist the student with communicating with peers and adults. Students have been taught how to use a Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) or sign language (Ministry of Education, 2000).

Members of our school district recently attended a meeting that networks educators who work with students with ASD. One topic of discussion was the new publication that was recently released by the National Autism Center entitled //Evidence-Based Practice and Autism in the Schools: A Guide to Providing Appropriate Interventions to Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders//. This publication lists eleven effective, research-based treatments for students with ASD. The group discussion of this publication was fascinating. Educators in the field of autism felt that the ways they educate students were not considered as possible treatments for children with autism. They were outrageously angered that doctors and behaviorists could influence the National Autism Center to write a publication without the opinions of educators. Yet, behaviorists Leaf, Taubman, and McEachin argue that the school setting is the optimal place to teach students with autism using researched based behavioral principles as the school districts provide opportunities for a natural learning environment, social opportunities, observational learning, group instruction, and generalization (Leaf, 2008). =**References**=

= Autism Facts (2006). The History of Autism. //AutismFacts.com//. Retrieved from [] = = = = Autism Resources (2009). Autism FAQ - History. //Autism-resources.com//. Retrieved from [] = = = = Autism Society (2009). History. //Autism Society: Improving the lives of All Affected by Autism//. Retrieved from [] = = = = Autism World (2009). A brief history of autism. //Autism-world.com//. Retrieved from [] = = = = Best Behaviour Consulting (2009). A Very Brief History of Autism. //Best Behaviour Consulting//. Retrieved from [] = = = = Certec (2009). The History of Autism. //Certec//. Retrieved from [] = = = = Enzine Articles (2010). Important Facts involving the History of Autism. //EnzineArticles.com//. Retrieved from [] = = = = K12 Academics (2009). Autism: History. //K12 Academics.com//. Retrieved from [] = = = = Leaf, R., & McEachin, J. & Taubman, M. (2008). //It’s Time for School! Building Quality ABA Education Programs with Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders//. New York: Autism Partnership. = = = = Ministry of Education (2000). Teaching Students with Autism. // Teaching Students with Autism: A Resource Guide for Schools. // Retrieved from [] = = = = National Autism Center (2009). //Evidence-Based Practice and Autism in the Schools: A Guide to Providing Appropriate Interventions to Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders//. Randolph, Massachusetts: National Autism Center. = = = = WebMD (2009). Autism Spectrum Disorders Health Center: History of Autism. //WebMD Better Information. Better Health//. Retrieved from [] = = = = Williams Jr., R. (2000). Autism Through Ages Baffles Science. //Pediatric Services: Professional Corner//. Retrieved from [] = = = = Wikipedia (2009). History of Asperger syndrome. //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia//. Retrieved from [] = = = = Willis, C. (2006). //Teaching Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder//. Beltsville, Maryland: Gryphon House, Inc. = = = = Return to Home Page =