The language used to describe neurodevelopmental conditions evolves as scientific understanding changes. This process led to a significant shift in the understanding of autism during the 1980s. Before this decade, the condition was often vaguely defined and misclassified alongside other psychiatric disorders. The publication of a standardized reference guide in 1980 provided a formal framework that marked a clear departure from previous, less structured definitions, establishing how the condition would be officially labeled and understood.
The Defining Terminology of the 1980s
The official name for the condition during most of the 1980s was “Infantile Autism,” established in the 1980 publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM-III). This terminology replaced earlier descriptions and firmly separated the diagnosis from conditions like childhood schizophrenia. The designation “Infantile” emphasized the required early onset of symptoms, focusing on the most severe presentations observed in young children.
Infantile Autism was placed within a newly created, broader category known as “Pervasive Developmental Disorders” (PDD). This grouping signaled a recognition that the condition involved widespread impairments across multiple areas of development. It was the first time a formal classification system recognized this cluster of symptoms as a distinct, neurodevelopmental entity. This formal inclusion provided a standardized language for clinicians and researchers worldwide.
Diagnostic Criteria: How the 80s Defined Autism
The diagnostic criteria for Infantile Autism in the 1980s were notably narrow and rigid compared to modern standards. Diagnosis required the onset of symptoms before the age of 30 months, limiting the diagnosis to only the most apparent and early-presenting cases. This strict age requirement often excluded children whose symptoms manifested later or less severely.
The DSM-III outlined specific behavioral criteria, including a pervasive lack of responsiveness to others and gross deficits in language development. Professionals looked for peculiar speech patterns, such as immediate or delayed echolalia (the repetition of words or phrases). The child also needed to exhibit bizarre responses to the environment, such as resistance to change or peculiar attachments to inanimate objects. These severe, early-onset criteria meant the 1980s definition captured only a small fraction of individuals who meet today’s broader spectrum diagnosis.
Shifting Theories of Causation
The 1980s represented a pivotal shift in understanding the condition’s cause. For decades prior, psychological theory blamed parental actions, specifically the discredited “refrigerator mother” hypothesis, which suggested maternal coldness caused the child’s withdrawal.
This psychological explanation was largely rejected throughout the 1970s and 1980s due to accumulating research pointing toward biological origins. Studies, including twin research, provided strong evidence for a significant genetic component, shifting the focus toward understanding the condition as a disorder of the brain rather than a result of poor parenting.
This transition led to a surge in research exploring neurological and genetic factors. This growing consensus on a biological etiology helped to destigmatize the diagnosis for families, absolving them of responsibility for their child’s condition.
The Road to the Pervasive Developmental Disorder Category
The introduction of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) category in the DSM-III was a major structural change with lasting consequences. Grouping Infantile Autism under PDD formally recognized a class of developmental conditions that shared core features of social and communicative impairment. This categorization was a significant departure from the prior DSM-II, which struggled to separate the condition from other childhood psychoses.
The PDD framework created a necessary placeholder for related conditions. While the 1980 edition focused primarily on Infantile Autism, the PDD category provided the structural foundation for later inclusions. The subsequent 1987 revision (DSM-III-R) expanded the category to include diagnoses like Autistic Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). The establishment of PDD ultimately paved the way for the “spectrum” concept that defines modern understanding.