| What is autism spectrum disorder? Eugene Bleuler | | | | functioning but exhibiting similar symptoms. This |
| first coined the term autism in 1912. This Swiss | | | | disorder was later called Asperger's syndrome. |
| psychiatrist used the word when explaining a | | | | The Second World War delayed his findings |
| schizophrenic's difficulty in connecting with others. | | | | becoming well known, as did a wait of nearly fifty |
| He choose this word because if means self. | | | | years to translate his conclusions into English. I |
| Later, in 1943, Dr. Leo Kanner, after studying | | | | was not until the late 1990s that his work was |
| eleven children suffering similar symptoms, used | | | | incorporated into the ongoing research into autism. |
| the expression early infantile autism. He also | | | | When you put these two together you get what |
| picked this word because of its Greek origins, | | | | is now referred to as ASD; autism spectrum |
| which also came from the word meaning self. He | | | | disorders. They are two of the five pervasive |
| did this because he felt that a main symptom the | | | | developmental disorders, PDD, listed in the |
| children suffered from included an interest in | | | | Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental |
| themselves but not the world around them. Dr. | | | | Disorders. |
| Kanner wrote a paper based on his observation | | | | In someone with autism they way the perceive |
| that was published in a medical publication called | | | | the world can be very different than someone |
| The Nervous Child. While this publication has long | | | | without autism. Their sensory reactions seem to |
| since disappeared every symptom that Kanner | | | | be affected strongly. Something with a light scent |
| described in his paper are still felt to be typical | | | | to you or I may smell foul or excessively strong |
| behaviors of autism to this day. There are | | | | to someone with autism. Light that just brightens |
| different kinds of autism, the most common one | | | | our way can be found to be blinding to an autistic. |
| is known as Kanner's Autism. | | | | Just like a gentle touch may feel painful. |
| The term autism describes a neurodevelopmental | | | | It's difficult to treat when each person suffers |
| disorder with a variety of symptoms and | | | | somewhat different symptoms. Since there is no |
| characteristics whose focus is on abnormal social | | | | cure there are controversies about treatment. |
| relationships and interplay, difficulties with | | | | Some say it's not a disorder its what these |
| communications of both the verbal and non-verbal | | | | people are born with. Others claim that treatment |
| kind, a lack of focus in normal play and repetitive | | | | does more harm than good and that autistics are |
| pattern behaviors. | | | | better left alone than intruded on. The last camp |
| Around the same time that Kanner was working | | | | heard from feel that whatever can be done to |
| with his patients, Dr. Hans Asperger was having | | | | help people with autism cope in the world is worth |
| similar results with patients who were higher | | | | the time and money invested. |