Understanding Autism: From Confusion to Awareness

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In the past, families were confused when they noticed something different about their children but couldn’t figure out what it was. Even after getting a diagnosis, parents still struggled because many people didn’t believe autism was real. Pioneers like Bernard Rimland, who started studying autism over 60 years ago, helped change how people thought about it. There was a lot of debate over whether autism was a mental illness, a behavior problem, or something else. As more people became aware of autism, the number of diagnosed cases seemed to grow quickly, raising questions about why this was happening. Scientists are still exploring reasons for this increase, including how our environment and the diversity of living things might play a role.

Paul Shattock (B.Pharm, Dip.Ag.Vet.Pharm, OBE), a pharmacist and parent of an autistic son, was Honorary Director of the Autism Research Unit (ARU), University of Sunderland, UK now called ESPA Research. He is Chairman of ESPA (Education and Services for People with Autism) which provides teaching and residential services for young adults with autism and President-Elect of the World Autism Organisation (WAO) having previously been secretary for Autisme-Europe. His research interests include rights and models of service provision for people with autism, biomedical and environmental factors implicated in autism, and the use and abuse of medication for autism.