[Did the DSM ever include Asperger’s autism? Towards a rereading "Asperger syndrome"].

This paper looks at the history of Asperger's syndrome in diagnostic manuals. The authors found that Hans Asperger originally saw autism as having both strengths and challenges, but later researchers focused mainly on difficulties. The 'Asperger's syndrome' that was in diagnostic books was based on this later interpretation, not Asperger's original ideas. When it was removed from the latest diagnostic manual, this reflected changing views about autism and neurodiversity.

This historical analysis critically examines Hans Asperger's original work versus how 'Asperger's syndrome' was later interpreted and included in diagnostic manuals. The authors argue that Asperger viewed autism as a distinct neurotype with specific strengths, while Lorna Wing's 1979-1981 reinterpretation emphasized deficits and social impairments. The paper traces how Wing's adaptation, rather than Asperger's original conceptualization, influenced the DSM-IV criteria for Asperger's syndrome. The removal of this diagnosis from DSM-5 is contextualized within broader movements toward neurodiversity and depathologization.

This scholarly review highlights the complexity of diagnostic evolution and the importance of understanding historical foundations in autism classification.

This historical perspective may inform contemporary diagnostic practices by highlighting the evolution from deficit-focused to strength-based conceptualizations of autism. Clinicians should be aware that current diagnostic frameworks have complex historical foundations that may influence assessment approaches and therapeutic perspectives.

This is a historical analysis rather than empirical research. The interpretation of historical texts may be subjective. No original data collection or systematic methodology is reported. The conclusions are based on literature review and theoretical analysis.

This article critically examines Hans Asperger’s legacy in relation to contemporary autism diagnostics. While “Asperger’s syndrome” is widely discussed, few have engaged with Asperger’s original work or the broader historical literature, including Grunia Sukhareva, Leo Kanner, George Frankl, and Lorna Wing. The paper reviews Asperger’s contributions (1938–1980) to clarify his view of autism as a distinct neurotype with specific strengths and challenges. It then contrasts this with Wing’s reinterpretation, particularly her 1979 study and 1981 introduction of “Asperger’s syndrome”, which emphasized social and communication deficits and blurred lines between autism and intellectual disability.

The article concludes with an analysis of the removal of Asperger’s syndrome from the DSM-V, arguing that the DSM-IV construct reflected Wing’s adaptation, not Asperger’s writings. This change is situated within a broader shift toward cognitive diversity and depathologization, suggesting that debates over the syndrome’s existence are more complex than often assumed.