Special report: The new history of autism

Recent articles

Featured articles

Black and white photograph of Grunya Sukhareva in a delicate collage of squares and circles on a cream colored background.

The new history of autism, part I

For decades, two figures have dominated the history of autism studies. Today, newly excavated documents are calling into question the primacy of these men as founders of the field.

By David Dobbs
7 November 2022 | 17 min listen
Black and white portrait of Hans Asperger against an abstract background.

The new history of autism, part II

For decades, two figures have dominated the history of autism studies. Today, newly excavated documents are calling into question the primacy of these men as founders of the field.

By David Dobbs
9 November 2022 | 19 min listen
Black and white photograph of Leo Kanner in a delicate collage of squares and circles on a cream colored background.

The new history of autism, part III

For decades, two figures have dominated the history of autism studies. Today, newly excavated documents are calling into question the primacy of these men as founders of the field.

By David Dobbs
11 November 2022 | 5 min listen
Sepia toned photo of Grunya Sukhareva in 1928

From the archives: Rare photos of Grunya Sukhareva

Recently uncovered images show the famous Soviet child psychologist in the clinic and training colleagues.

By Rebecca Horne
7 November 2022 | 2 min read
Triangle that looks like a play button in a delicate collage of squares and circles on a cream colored background.

Writing a ‘new history of autism’

Spectrum talks with David Dobbs about researching his latest article, and what he found.

By Brady Huggett
8 November 2022 | 17 min listen

From the archives

A collage shows a black and white portrait of Russian doGrunya Efimovna Sukhareva on a colored background.

How history forgot the woman who defined autism

Grunya Sukhareva characterized autism nearly two decades before Austrian doctors Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger. So why did the latter get all the credit?

By Lina Zeldovich
7 November 2018 | 13 min read
Vienna children's hospital, children in sun hats with attendants outdoors on chaise lounges and chairs.

New evidence ties Hans Asperger to Nazi eugenics program

The Austrian doctor Hans Asperger cooperated extensively with the Nazi regime and may have sent dozens of children to their deaths.

By Hannah Furfaro
19 April 2018 | 7 min read

How the loss of Asperger syndrome has lasting repercussions

Some people who have lost the diagnosis of Asperger syndrome say they feel a loss of identity and worry about a loss of services.

By Sandra Jones
19 May 2020 | 6 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Leo Kanner’s 1943 paper on autism

Donald T. was not like other 5-year-old boys. Leo Kanner knew that the moment he read the 33-page letter from Donaldʼs father that described the boy in obsessive detail as “happiest when he was alone... drawing into a shell and living within himself... oblivious to everything around him.”

By Gerald D. Fischbach
7 December 2007 | 6 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image showing that activity in single neurons spikes when a person encodes sequential items into working memory.

Null and Noteworthy: Neurons tracking sequences don’t fire in order

Instead, neurons encode the position of sequential items in working memory based on when they fire during ongoing brain wave oscillations—a finding that challenges a long-standing theory.

By Laura Dattaro
30 June 2025 | 4 min read
A hand points to a chalkboard with an astrocyte on it.

How to teach this paper: ‘Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes are induced by activated microglia,’ by Liddelow et al. (2017)

Shane Liddelow and his collaborators identified the factors that transform astrocytes from their helpful to harmful form. Their work is a great choice if you want to teach students about glial cell types, cell culture, gene expression or protein measurement.

By Ashley Juavinett
30 June 2025 | 10 min read
Research image of altered neural connections induced by norepinephrine.

Astrocytes sense neuromodulators to orchestrate neuronal activity and shape behavior

Astrocytes serve as crucial mediators of neuromodulatory processes previously attributed to direct communication between neurons, four new studies show.

By Claudia López Lloreda
27 June 2025 | 9 min listen