Neurotribes: The Legacy Of Autism And The Futur... May 2026

In the 1940s, Asperger viewed autism as a broad, lifelong spectrum. He recognized his "little professors" as individuals with unique talents in areas like science and math. Most critically, he attempted to protect these children from Nazi eugenics programs by emphasizing their potential social value to the Reich, such as their aptitude for code-breaking.

The narrative begins by contrasting the work of two researchers in the 1940s who discovered autism almost simultaneously, but defined it in vastly different ways: NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Futur...

Conversely, Kanner defined autism as a rare, severe childhood psychosis. He shifted the focus toward deficits and famously (and incorrectly) blamed "refrigerator mothers"—parents who were supposedly too cold or distant—for their children's condition. The Suppressed History In the 1940s, Asperger viewed autism as a