"NeuroTribes" book claims Kanner sidelined Asperger

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Rewriting Autism History Newly discovered documents show how crucial autism research was ignored, perpetuating misinformation about autistic children.

Book also claims Kanner knew of Asperger's work because a diagnostician Kanner smuggled out of Europe worked at Asperger's institute and German speaking Kanner read Euro Autistic articles.

The article perpetuates the myth that Kanner only studied low functioning autism. That is simply not true, as anyone who's read Kanner's case reports can attest to. Most of the kids who have IQ scores reported were normal-to-gifted, and many of them were able to live independently as adults. A few didn't even have any language delay.

Kanner's idea of autism was more restrictive than the modern criteria, but not in terms of functioning level. Instead, it was mainly because a) he did not include regressive autism (that was called childhood psychosis instead) or syndromal autism (that was just called mental retardation) and b) the child had to be strongly aloof in social interactions in early childhood. The modern-day autistics who wouldn't be considered autistic by Kanner are all over the spectrum, including some very low functioning people. And the kids he did consider autistic ranged from kids who remained nonverbal in late childhood to kids who started talking before 18 months. (Sure, it was mostly echolalia at first, but it was still speech.)

For an alternative perspective (and book review), check out this thread: http://wrongplanet.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=291427

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> The article perpetuates the myth that Kanner only studied low functioning autism.

This is not at all what my book does. My book surgically deconstructs this myth, actually. "NeuroTribes" adds a tremendous amount of new information to the discussion of Kanner and Asperger.

Steve

As early as 1926, the Kiev-based child psychiatrist Grunya Efimovna Sukhareva (Груня Ефимовна Сухарева) (1891–1981) published a detailed description of autistic traits in a number of children in a scientific German psychiatry and neurology journal. She initially used the term “schizoid (eccentric) psychopathy” but later replaced it with “autistic (pathological avoidant) psychopathy” to describe the clinical picture of autism. Her original article was available almost two decades before the case reports of Asperger and Kanner; nevertheless, Sukhareva's pioneer work has been greatly overlooked.

You'll be glad to know that Sukhareva's work is not overlooked in my book! I talk about it a lot.

Steve

^^^

I want to thank you Mr. Silberman for your efforts. This book is not even released yet but already it has had a palpable effect. There have been more stories explaining these subjects and the neurodiverse point of view in the mainstream media in the last few weeks then probably there have been in the last few years.

I am hoping this book combined with the release of "Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism" represents a Tipping point in how my people are viewed.

We can be picky about stuff. I am sure once I have read the book I will have, as many of you will, valid criticisms of it. We need to remember this, this is just the first book length history of the autistic people. As with any first history or first draft a lot more work will need to be done to build upon this work. That does not negate that Steve Silberman took the important first step. Therefore I thank him again.

I am reading this book and loving it! I am so very thankful that I found wrongplanet within weeks of my son being diagnosed at age 5. It changed my view of autism and the wonderful people of this site helped me greatly. In fact, during his first diagnosis, it was my husband who said to the psychologist "whatever you are going to give my son, give it to my wife, everything you have stated, she has" Which made ME research autism and go back through my childhood and FINALLY understand why I always felt out of place. There were those at Deepwood Elementary School in Round Rock Texas that thought something was up with me, as they put me in "remedial clases"...I remember sitting next to the boy who couldn't speak but rocked back and forth. It was now clear as day thanks to wrongplanet, thanks to my husband and so many others. I also worked in the IT field and without a doubt, many in my group would've been diagnosed. Those who were straight, ended up having kiddos diagnosed on the spectrum and those who didn't, well, they were gay and had no kids...but yes, rocked back and forth, had incredibly attention to detail, had those Star Trek and weather special interests that everyone in our company found odd, except those in our group.

I hope that you are able to do more interviews and that what you have written gets the media attention it deserves. I see so many kids today suffering because their parents are being manipulated by autism organizations, it disgusts me, but more than anything, it breaks my heart for those awesome kids.