![]() Working under the shadow of Nazi euthanasia programmes, Silberman argues that Asperger over-played the high functioning patients on purpose in the hope that they might save the rest from the brutal regime. ![]() Many have argued since whether the two were categorising the same condition, as Asperger’s work highlighted gifted children on the autistic spectrum whereas Kanner described exclusively low functioning children. ![]() “Nothing exists until it has a name.” wrote Lorna Wing and so Silberman begins his history tracing the work of Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner – the two doctors who outlined the syndrome separately at a similar time, and gave autism its name. The perceived surge in diagnosis in recent times, Silberman maintains, is due to acknowledgement of the scale of experiences and greater understanding of autism. This discussion is speculation of course, but shows that such behaviours were not unheard of in the past. Our second book, Neurotribes by Steve Silberman, is an impressive and wide-reaching book, tracing the history of autism in depth and with a humanity that led him to being awarded the Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction.Īt the beginning of the book Silberman hypothesises that historical figures known for their unusual behaviour, such as Einstein and Dirac, may have experienced autism. In our new review series, we will be looking at inspirational reading for those who live or work with anyone with autism or a learning difficulty. ![]()
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