Hans Asperger was one of the first persons to study and describe characteristics of autism. Unfortunately, though his work was published in 1944, it was originally written in German, and not till 1991 did Uta Frith translate it from the German into the English. His and Leo Kanner's works are considered the basis for the modern concept of autism.
Hans Asperger, who lived from 1906 to 1980, was a pediatrician who studied "autistic psychopathy." He lived most of his life in Austria. He described certain children with autistic characteristics as "little professors." Leo Kanner was also studying children with "autistic disturbances" at this time. Asperger was more interested in the children with these characteristics who also were especially capable in some area (e.g., mathematics) and did not seem to have the language delay that occurs in some children with autistic characteristics, which is why Asperger's Syndrome was named after him. His description of "autistic psychopathy" is closer to the current description of Asperger's Syndrome than Kanner's, whose description is more like the current description of autism.
Lorna Wing is known to have used the term "Asperger syndrome" in 1976, and she even defined the term in print in 1981, but her usage and definition of it differed somewhat from Asperger's description of "autistic psychopathy."
Included following are some links that tell more about Hans Asperger.
Hans Asperger was born on February 18, 1906.
Hans Asperger was born on February 18, 1906.
Asperger's Syndrome was discovered by Hans Asperger in 1944.
Hans Asperger died on October 21, 1980 at the age of 74.
Hans Asperger was born on February 18, 1906 and died on October 21, 1980. Hans Asperger would have been 74 years old at the time of death or 109 years old today.
No. Dr. Hans Asperger was a pediatrician; he worked with children. Albert Einstein was already an adult by the time Dr. Asperger was born.
Yes, Asperger's is capitalized because Asperger is the name of the pediatrician after whom Asperger's Syndrome is named, Hans Asperger.
It should because it is in honor for the man who first researched it, Hans Asperger.
Asperger's Syndrome was first described in 1944 by an Austrian pediatrician named Hans Asperger. It was not given its name, but the basic symptoms were outlined.
He identified the Characteristics of Aspergers which is mainly to do with Communications difficulties.
Lorna Wing, an early autism researcher, created the term "Asperger's Syndrome." She published a paper in titled "Asperger's Syndrome: a clinical account." Sadly, this happened in 1981, a year after Dr. Asperger died.
Asperger's Syndrome is named after Hans Asperger, one of the first persons to research conditions later known as autism and Asperger's Syndrome. For more information about him, see the link in the Related Questions section.