The fact that the Asperger’s/autism spectrum has stubbornly been included in the Diagnostics and Statistics Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM), despite its establishment as a neurodevelopmental atypicality, has always baffled me.
To truly understand the present, one must study the past.
While writing my last post about new proposed mental health legislation currently under consideration, I found something interesting: some historical information about the autism spectrum.
I’ll take you on a brief but scenic journey; I’m not acutely aware of any potential trigger warnings, but this post deals with the history of mental health, so do proceed with caution as needed.
In the beginning, autism was perceived to be a subset of schizophrenia, manifesting in early childhood. The DSM (Diagnostics and Statistics Manual for Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, or APA) has indeed referenced the terms “autism”/”autistic” since its original release (the DSM-I) in 1952. Except that…
View original post 3,172 more words
Autism Candles 