Important People in the History of Autism

Sep 10, 2026

Important People in the History of Autism

Many people believe that autism was first introduced to the medical community in 1943. However, more recent discoveries indicate that autism may have been described in medical literature as early as 1925. Since then, research on autism has greatly expanded. Several key figures in the history of autism have contributed to our understanding of the condition today. These historical figures include Dr. Leo Kanner, Dr. Hans Asperger, and Dr. Grunya Sukhareva.

Leo Kanner

Dr. Leo Kanner was a child psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In 1943, he wrote a paper about eleven children in his clinic who were focused on specific objects, resisted change / preferred sameness, and did not interact socially with others. He called this early infantile autism.

Dr. Kanner’s paper was titled “Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact.” This paper was the first description of autism as its own condition. He highlighted several prominent autistic features such as repetitive behaviors, resistance to chance, and a lack of social interaction. Dr. Kanner also emphasized that these individuals did not have an intellectual disability.

The Dr. Kanner’s paper had precise descriptions and included an in-depth analysis of autistic characteristics. He allowed for the characteristics of autism to be defined, and for autism to be recognized as its own condition. This laid the foundation for future autism research and diagnosis and is claimed by many to be the starting point for all that we know about autism today.

Hans Asperger

Dr. Hans Asperger is another leader in the foundation of today’s understanding of autism. He was a pediatrician and worked at the University of Vienna in Austria. In 1944 he wrote an article describing a group of children, which was very similar to that of Dr. Kanner’s paper. Since Dr. Asperger’s article was written in German, it did not receive the same attention that Dr. Kanner’s did.

In 1980, Lorna Wing opened the English world’s eyes to Dr. Asperger’s research. She was a British autism researcher who wrote about Dr. Asperger’s concept of autistic psychopathy. Dr. Asperger described autistic psychopathy as children with a certain physical appearance, distinct intellectual functioning, difficulties with social interaction, and less emotion and instinct. He described these children as eccentric, withdrawn, highly gifted, and having odd social interaction or communication.

Wing is responsible for creating the term Asperger’s syndrome, which was used to describe autistic psychopathy along with her own alterations and additions. Generally, an Asperger’s syndrome diagnosis was made in individuals who struggled with social and communication skills but did not have any language or cognitive deficits. Asperger’s syndrome is no longer a diagnosis, as autism and Asperger’s syndrome both fall under the newer diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

Dr. Asperger’s past is a bit more controversial than Dr. Kanner’s. Some believe he had ties to the Nazi Party, although this has not been soundly proven. Interestingly enough, there is actually debate if Dr. Kanner’s knowledge of autism was influenced by Dr. Asperger. The chief diagnostician in Dr. Asperger’s clinic came to work with Dr. Kanner in 1938, leading some to believe the nearly simultaneous discovery of autism by the two physicians was not a coincidence.

Grunya Sukhareva

Dr. Grunya Sukhareva was a Soviet child psychiatrist. Her work has recently been re-discovered, and she may actually have been the first physician to clinically define autism. She published a description of autistic traits in 1925, which is several years prior to Drs. Kanner and Asperger. However, her work is not well known and not recognized outside of Russia.

Dr. Sukhareva’s 1925 paper contained a clinical description of six boys aged 2-14 who had characteristics now recognized as autism spectrum disorder. These characteristics included a flatness of emotions, difficulty adapting to new environments, and repetitive behavior. She initially described these children as having schizoid psychopathy. However, a paper she published in 1959 uses the term autistic psychopathy instead. Her 1925 article is of particular note for its empathetic tone and focus on each child’s talents and intellectual gifts. This article also receives praise for aligning with modern conceptions of autism, particularly in the ways she suggested to help autistic children.

Later, Dr. Sukhareva published a paper in 1927 that described girls with autistic characteristics. The article describes the case studies of five girls with autistic characteristics and compared sex differences in what is known today as autism spectrum disorder. This differs from Dr. Kanner and Dr. Asperger’s claims that autism was nearly always in males.

Controversy surrounds why Dr. Sukhareva was not given the proper credit for her work in defining autism. Some believe Dr. Asperger read her paper and did not credit her, noting the similarity between the boys in Dr. Sukhareva’s case study and Dr. Asperger’s. Dr. Kanner cited one of Dr. Sukhaerva’s later articles in a paper he published in 1949, but not in his famous 1943 paper. Regardless, it is notable that her works were published before both Dr. Asperger’s and Dr. Kanner’s.

Drs. Kanner, Asperger, and Sukhareva all contributed to the knowledge we hold today about autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Kanner is credited with defining autistic characteristics and naming autism a condition of its own, but some believe his ideas came from Dr. Asperger. Dr. Sukhareva published articles that were not recognized for many years, but more closely align with what is known as autism spectrum disorder today. She also described autism in girls, which neither of the male physicians had done. While who influenced who is still up for debate, all of these physicians contributed significantly to defining autism and sparked further research into autism.

Article by: Grace Mccorkle and the Autism ToolKit