| Although some medical scientists agreed upon the | | | | (regarded separately from intellectual development); |
| new features discovered and explained by Kanner, | | | | - Poor adaptation skills, stereotype behaviors and |
| others didn't accept his ideas, claiming that autism | | | | insistence on routine. |
| couldn't be separated from other neurological | | | | While Kanner claimed that autism and intellectual |
| disorders. Many medical scientists disagreed with | | | | retardation should be regarded as two separate, |
| Kanner and completely refused to see autism as a | | | | distinctive units, Rutter revealed that the concept of |
| distinctive syndrome. This was due to the fact that | | | | autism included some degree of intellectual |
| Kanner failed to clarify various aspects of autism, | | | | retardation. Rutter refused to accept that autism |
| leaving serious gaps in his research. | | | | should be 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 | | | | in hand. While this fact may seem controversial and |
| that Kanner's concept of autism was confusing, most | | | | contradictory to Kanner's findings, the truth is that |
| medical scientists who adopted his theories applied | | | | the Austrian scientist failed to correctly measure the |
| the model of diagnosis too widely. Due to | | | | IQ levels of the subjects he studied. In fact, Kanner |
| misinterpretation of Kanner's ideas, more and more | | | | only discovered good memory and logical skills in his |
| people who suffered from neurological disorders | | | | subjects, not accounting for other aspects of |
| were inappropriately diagnosed with autism. | | | | performance intelligence. Rutter explained that in spite |
| The concept of autism was finally clarified by Rutter | | | | of their good memory and good logical skills, most |
| in the late 70's. Rutter introduced new terminologies | | | | autistics present some degree of impaired mental |
| and developed new theories that would adjust the | | | | judgment. |
| overall interpretation of autism. In an attempt to | | | | Rutter's work had clarified many aspects of autism, |
| eliminate the confusion that surrounded the concept | | | | enabling medical scientists to diagnose the syndrome |
| of autism, Rutter focused his work on improving | | | | in a more precise and approachable manner. Rutter's |
| Kanner's model of diagnosis. Some of the new criteria | | | | improved model of diagnosis was a huge step |
| introduced by Rutter in the process of diagnosing | | | | forward in the practice of psychiatry, clarifying |
| autism were: | | | | certain aspects omitted by his predecessors. |
| - Onset of the syndrome in early childhood, by the | | | | Although there are still many uncertain aspects |
| age of 30 months; | | | | regarding the syndrome identified by Kanner, |
| - Abnormal social development (regarded separately | | | | nowadays medical scientists are able to correctly |
| from intellectual development); | | | | diagnose children with autism. |
| - Slow and impaired development of speech | | | | |