Understanding Asperger's Syndrome: History and Origins

Asperger syndrome is named after the Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger, who first described the condition in 1944. Asperger noticed a pattern of behaviors in his child patients that included difficulties with social interaction, repetitive behaviors, and a narrow range of interests. He initially called the condition "autistic psychopathy," but later renamed it "Asperger's syndrome" in honor of his mentor, Viktor von Gebsattel.

Asperger's syndrome was originally thought to be a mild form of autism, but it was later recognized as a separate disorder. In 1994, the American Psychiatric Association included Asperger's syndrome in the DSM-IV, the diagnostic manual for mental disorders. In the DSM-5, published in 2013, Asperger's syndrome was removed as a separate diagnosis and is now considered part of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD).