title: The history of autism.
abstract: Autism remains a fascinating condition, perhaps the most prolifically researched of all child psychiatric disorders. Its history yields many lessons: early accounts of possible autism are, with one exception, unclear; the greatest contributions to our understanding have come from individual clinicians and researchers; the concept and definition of the disorder have changed greatly over the years; some ideas once held with conviction, were later proved to be unfounded; and socio-political shifts as well as research findings have radically altered our understanding of the syndrome as well as the care and treatment offered to people with autism.
authors.forename: Sula
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wolff
mesh_terms: D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000266:history*; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000266:history*; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D011057:Politics; D011584:Psychology / Q000266:history*