All About the Spectrum

The term “Autism” was first used in 1908 to describe a subset of schizophrenic patients who were especially withdrawn and self-absorbed. American child psychiatrist Leo Kanne later added to this definition in 1943 as children who were highly intelligent but displayed “a powerful desire for aloneness” and “an obsessive insistence on persistent sameness.”

Looking back, neither of these definitions encapsulated the vast complexities of Autism quite right. But, of course, knowledge and scientific discovery were extremely limited back then. Doctors have since come a long way, so much so that we now know that Autism is not a rigid set of conditions. Rather, Autism is best represented by a fluid spectrum of abilities in which no two cases are the same.

To better understand how the spectrum works, explore the various tabs on the interactive spectrum below.

Thinglink by Nafessa Jaigirdar