Autism spectrum disorders – a historical overview

Beata Maja Gellert; Agnieszka Osiadło; Urszula Religioni; Jarosław Pinkas; Janusz Ostrowski

doi:10.36553/wm.183

Published: 2025-11-26

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2025)

Autism spectrum disorders – a historical overview

Beata Maja Gellert , Agnieszka Osiadło , Urszula Religioni , Jarosław Pinkas , Janusz Ostrowski

Wiedza Medyczna

Section: Review papers

https://doi.org/10.36553/wm.183

Abstract

This article presents a concise historical overview of how perceptions of autism have shifted — from early descriptions of atypical behavior, through pathology-based psychiatric models of the 20th century, to current concepts of autism spectrum disorders, increasingly seen as a form of neurodiversity. The analysis draws primarily on academic literature in psychology and the history of medicine, as well as popular science sources and the authors’ own experience. Special attention is given to changes in diagnostic classifications and the role of socio-cultural context in shaping how autism is defined. The article describes autism as a dynamic construct, influenced by knowledge, language, and ideology, and advocates for a shift in approach — from symptom-focused treatment toward acceptance, understanding, and support.

Keywords:

autism, history, neurodiversity, autism spectrum disorder

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Gellert, B. M., Osiadło, A., Religioni, U., Pinkas, J., & Ostrowski, J. (2025). Autism spectrum disorders – a historical overview. Wiedza Medyczna, 7(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.36553/wm.183

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Beata Maja Gellert

bgellert@cmkp.edu.pl
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4844-7391

Affiliation:

Department of Medical Communication, School of Public Health, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland Poland

Agnieszka Osiadło

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2226-5817

Affiliation:

Department of the History of Medicine, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland Poland

Urszula Religioni

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1434-2138

Affiliation:

Department of Health Economics and Quality of Life Research, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland Poland

Jarosław Pinkas

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1015-9643

Affiliation:

Department of Lifestyle Medicine, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland Poland

Janusz Ostrowski

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0242-9399

Affiliation:

Department of the History of Medicine, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland Poland