History of autism
Before
we go into how autism came about and what the word means first when doing my
research I noticed that there was a man by the name of Bruno
Bettelheim and he came up with the conclusion that “The Refrigerator Mother”
was which cause autism. This theory basically stated that autism in children
was a response to what was a hostile environment that came from the child’s
parent especially the mothers (Happé, 1995). His point of view was
that the
Mother
was herself in need of severe psychological treatment, and in many cases the
child was removed from the mother’s care. While this theory has since been
discredited, the ideals associated with the psychogenic myth remain a challenge
to the families of autistic individuals today. In addition, it may be seen in
parts of Europe that this belief holds precedence over more event scientific
advances (Happé, 1995)
The
word "autism," which has been in use for about 100 years, comes from
the Greek word "autos," meaning "self." The term describes
conditions in which a person is removed from social interaction -- hence, an
isolated self. Eugen Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist, was the first person to use
the term. He started using it around 1911 to refer to one group of symptoms of
schizophrenia. In the 1940s, researchers in the United States began to use the
term "autism" to describe children with emotional or social problems.
Leo Kanner, a doctor from Johns Hopkins University, used it to describe the
withdrawn behavior of several children he studied (Happé,
1995). At
about the same time, Hans Asperger, a scientist in Germany, identified a
similar condition that’s now called Asperger’s syndrome. Autism and
schizophrenia remained linked in many researchers’ minds until the 1960s. It
was only then that medical professionals began to have a separate understanding
of autism in children. From the 1960s through the 1970s, research into
treatments for autism focused on medications such as LSD, electric shock, and
behavioral change techniques. The latter relied on pain and punishment. During
the 1980s and 1990s, the role of behavioral therapy and the use of highly
controlled learning environments emerged as the primary treatments for many
forms of autism and related conditions. Currently, the cornerstones of autism
therapy are behavioral therapy and language therapy. Other treatments are added
as needed.