Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism doesn't exist as a separate diagnosis in the diagnostic and statistic medical manual of mental disorders until 1980. Lorna Wing, in the UK, rediscovers Hans Ospreger's work on Asperger's Syndrome around that same time. In 1990, the American Disabilities Act has passed. That now finally applies to students with autism. But what it also means is that schools that receive federal dollars have to report the number of autistic students they served.