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Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects an individual’s social interaction, communication, and behaviour. The condition is named after the Austrian paediatrician Hans Asperger, who first described the syndrome in 1944. Asperger’s syndrome is considered a milder form of autism and is now part of the autism spectrum disorder.
The history of Asperger’s syndrome can be traced back to the early 20th century when autism was first recognised as a separate condition. In 1908, Eugen Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist, used the term “autism” to describe the tendency of some patients to withdraw from social interaction and live in their own world. However, it was not until the 1940s that autism began to be studied in depth.
In 1944, Hans Asperger published a paper describing a group of children who had difficulty with social interaction and showed an unusual interest in specific topics. He called this condition “autistic psychopathy” and described the children as having “a lack of empathy, little ability to form friendships, one-sided conversation, intense absorption in a special interest, and clumsy movements.”
Asperger’s paper was published during World War II, and his work was largely overlooked until the 1980s. It was during this time that Asperger’s syndrome began to be recognised as a separate condition from autism.
In 1981, the British psychiatrist Lorna Wing introduced the term “Asperger’s syndrome” in a paper describing a group of children who had similar characteristics to those described by Asperger. She named the condition after Asperger and argued that it should be classified as a separate disorder from autism.
The introduction of Asperger’s syndrome as a separate condition was controversial, with some experts arguing that it was simply a milder form of autism. However, over time, Asperger’s syndrome became widely recognised as a distinct condition, and it was included in the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), published in 1994.
In 2013, the DSM-5 was published, which eliminated Asperger’s syndrome as a separate diagnosis and instead included it as part of the autism spectrum disorder. The decision to eliminate Asperger’s syndrome as a separate diagnosis was controversial, with some experts arguing that it would make it more difficult for individuals with Asperger’s syndrome to access services and support.
Despite this controversy, the history of Asperger’s syndrome highlights the important role that Hans Asperger and other researchers have played in advancing our understanding of autism and related conditions. Asperger’s syndrome is now recognised as a valid diagnosis, and individuals with the condition are able to access services and support to help them manage their symptoms and lead fulfilling lives.
