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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
