Who is a person involved in the development of autism the way we know it today?
When you think about it, autism seems to have evolved from basic understandings and a linkage to schizophrenia, then on to a triad of impairments, to now, a dyad of impairments with a level of severity.
Previously I have discussed how long autism has been around.
From that blog you may recall I had mentioned some names that were responsible for the diagnosis and changes in understandings of autism, the way we know it today.
In this blog I want to tell you a little more about a particular lady who was involved in the development of autism the way we know it today.
Why is she a key influencer? How has she paved the way for ASD?
One of the significant people involved in the development of autism the way we know it today and the person I’ll be basing this blog on is Lorna Wing.
The significant work of Wing and Gould (1979) came to define autism as we know it today. The introduction of the ‘triad of impairments’ gave way for the identification of various forms of autism functioning.
Wing introduced the concept of an autism spectrum as she was among the first to regard ASD’s extent and scope of skills shown by people with autism (Webster, Cumming, & Rowland, 2017). The inclusion of Asperger syndrome in the DSM-IV (1994) was important for transforming the idea of autism as a spectrum condition (Grandin, 2013).
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The current DSM -V (2013), encompasses all five diagnoses from its predecessor under the one diagnosis of ASD. This reflects the ongoing research and understandings of the spectrum.
Autism is now known as a ‘spectrum’ condition as it affects each individual differently in various contexts. It is no longer categorised as a group of related disorders, but one disorder that includes a spectrum of characteristics (Webster et al., 2017). A spectrum is a continuous structure or scope that reflects the wide range of abilities and deficits individuals with ASD display (NAC, 2015).
To date there is no known single factor that causes ASD. No two individuals with ASD are alike although they all share the common characteristics. Individual’s abilities, skills and needs vary across all characteristics so there is no ‘one size fits all’ hence the autism spectrum is the term used.
Being a spectrum disorder, it means that terms such as ‘high functioning’, ‘low functioning’ and Asperger’s are obsolete. These terms all fall under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorder. In my opinion the work of Wing was instrumental for individuals with autism.
There were (and probably still are) many ‘high functioning’ individuals that have been left to work independently because they have the label high functioning. The educator or employer believes that they are capable, and the supports and services go amiss.
These supports and services may be the make or break of a situation, or the successful completion of a task, not just completed. Just because the individual had the label high functioning, it did not mean that they did not require some assistance.
On the flip side, the term ‘low functioning’ gave the impression that the individual could not complete a task. Perceptions of others that rely on a label rather than getting to know the person and their strengths have already made their decision about what to expect from this person.
Low expectations from the teacher/employer = low output from the person. Low input from the teacher/employer = low output from the person. If each person took the time to assess what this individual could do then they would be rewarded with their talents and strengths, likes and interests.
What you have there is a huge list that will make the individual with autism want to work and complete tasks. The focus and utilisation of their strengths and preferred activities will increase their output and might I add successfully too!
There you have it! If it wasn’t for the work of Lorna Wing, then we would not have the spectrum disorder that autism is referred to as today. She was definitely a key influencer, developing the ‘triad of impairments’ and paving the way for the DSM-V to alter the diagnostic criteria.