| h some medical scientists agreed upon the new | | | | separately from intellectual development); |
| features discovered and explained by Kanner, others | | | | - Poor adaptation skills, stereotype behaviors and |
| didn't accept his ideas, claiming that autism couldn't be | | | | insistence on routine. |
| separated from other neurological disorders. Many | | | | While Kanner claimed that autism and intellectual |
| medical scientists disagreed with Kanner and | | | | retardation should be regarded as two separate, |
| completely refused to see autism as a distinctive | | | | distinctive units, Rutter revealed that the concept of |
| syndrome. This was due to the fact that Kanner failed | | | | autism included some degree of intellectual retardation. |
| to clarify various aspects of autism, leaving serious | | | | Rutter refused to accept that autism should be |
| gaps in his research. | | | | diagnosed without measuring the levels of |
| By contrast, scientists who accepted Kanner's ideas | | | | performance intelligence and proved that Kanner's |
| quickly began to apply his model of diagnosis in their | | | | syndrome and impaired cognitive functions went hand |
| psychiatric practice. However, considering the fact that | | | | in hand. While this fact may seem controversial and |
| Kanner's concept of autism was confusing, most | | | | contradictory to Kanner's findings, the truth is that the |
| medical scientists who adopted his theories applied the | | | | Austrian scientist failed to correctly measure the IQ |
| model of diagnosis too widely. Due to misinterpretation | | | | levels of the subjects he studied. In fact, Kanner only |
| of Kanner's ideas, more and more people who | | | | discovered good memory and logical skills in his |
| suffered from neurological disorders were | | | | subjects, not accounting for other aspects of |
| inappropriately diagnosed with autism. | | | | performance intelligence. Rutter explained that in spite |
| The concept of autism was finally clarified by Rutter in | | | | of their good memory and good logical skills, most |
| the late 70's. Rutter introduced new terminologies and | | | | autistics present some degree of impaired mental |
| developed new theories that would adjust the overall | | | | judgment. |
| interpretation of autism. In an attempt to eliminate the | | | | Rutter's work had clarified many aspects of autism, |
| confusion that surrounded the concept of autism, | | | | enabling medical scientists to diagnose the syndrome in |
| Rutter focused his work on improving Kanner's model | | | | a more precise and approachable manner. Rutter's |
| of diagnosis. Some of the new criteria introduced by | | | | improved model of diagnosis was a huge step |
| Rutter in the process of diagnosing autism were: | | | | forward in the practice of psychiatry, clarifying certain |
| - Onset of the syndrome in early childhood, by the age | | | | aspects omitted by his predecessors. Although there |
| of 30 months; | | | | are still many uncertain aspects regarding the |
| - Abnormal social development (regarded separately | | | | syndrome identified by Kanner, nowadays medical |
| from intellectual development); | | | | scientists are able to correctly diagnose children with |
| - Slow and impaired development of speech (regarded | | | | autism. |