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Historical perspective on prevailing ideas about causes of autism and its treatment

Pre 1960’s

• Autism thought to be psychodynamic i.e. caused by the mother’s emotional coldness
• Autism poorly defined- little or no differentiation
• Few specialist approaches
• Autism regarded as a variant of schizophrenia

Post 1960’s

• Psychodynamic theory debunked
• Specialist education pioneered
• Autism variously attributed to
  • Biomedical factors e.g. GI or allergies
  • Environmental factors e.g. toxins
  • Vaccines
  • Genetic factors
  • Predisposition
• Functional neurodevelopmental factors

1970’s

• Growth of interest in biomedical treatments
• Specialist ‘autism specific’ education established
• Growth in use of behavioural treatments
• Growth in use of drugs

1980’s

• Growing sophistication of behavioural treatments
• Interest in autism specific approaches e.g. TEACCH imported from USA
• Emergence of alternative approaches
• More drugs

1990’s

• Resurgence of interest in biomedical treatments
• Generic application of structured autism specific approaches (e.g. growth of TEACCH )
• Changes in way autism diagnosed
• Growth of cognitive behavioural approaches
• More drugs

Current situation

• Renewed interest in biomedical explanations and treatments
• Behavioural interventions (ABA) remain popular
• No shortage of new approaches – compelling anecdotal evidence-mostly unsupported
• No drug for autism – but some medications for secondary effects or co morbidities may be useful
• Growing application of cognitive behavioural approaches

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Last Updated : 31/10/2008   Back to Top

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