An old, yet modern take on autism 2013

In another twist, research notes from 1925, made by a Russian Jewish woman psychologist reveal a much more nuanced and modern understanding of autism.

Irina Manouilenko, is psychiatrist based in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2013, Manouilenko translated Grunya Sukhareva's original descriptions of autism from Russian to English and compared them with the diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5.

Upon examination, Manouilenko found significant similarities between Sukhareva's early observations and the contemporary criteria for autism in the DSM-5. This discovery highlighted the noteworthy alignment between Sukhareva's work in the early 20th century and the current understanding of autism.

Grunya Sukhareva – overlooked pioneer – 1925

Sukhareva, a Soviet child psychiatrist, independently observed children displaying social withdrawal, language difficulties, and repetitive behaviors. Her detailed description of autistic features in the six boys she observed was published in 1925, nearly two decades before the more widely known work of Asperger and Kanner. Sukhareva recognized the unique cognitive profiles of the children she studied, emphasizing differences in information processing and engagement with the world. Her focus on early childhood and the importance of early identification and intervention aligns with later perspectives on autism.

Sukhareva held a positive view regarding children's ability to adapt successfully under favorable conditions. She emphasized the significance of the social environment, proper upbringing, and education in stimulating compensatory opportunities for children.

Sukhareva, as a child psychiatrist, observed and highlighted how crucial these factors were in aiding children's adaptation within their families and at school. This perspective aligned with her evolutionary-biological concept of mental illness. In her 1926 paper, Sukhareva balanced her descriptions by also noting unconventional behavior and challenges faced by the children she observed.

Sukhareva also documented motor coordination issues in some children, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of autism that recognizes the diverse challenges individuals may face. Overall, Sukhareva's pioneering work laid a foundation for the evolving understanding of autism.

Sula Wolff, a psychiatrist based in Edinburgh, praised Sukhareva's 1926 publication, stating that Sukhareva summarized the children's characteristics "admirably" and described her work as "marvellous." According to Manouilenko and Bejerot, Sukhareva's descriptions were considered "structured, elegant, detailed," and "vivid." They also noted that Sukhareva's ideas on ways to help autistic children were remarkably "modern."

Manouilenko and Bejerot suggest that Sukhareva’s gender, her Jewish identity, Russian nationality, and her publications in Russian and German were not an effective combination for gaining worldwide attention in the 1920s. One can only bemoan the loss to the autism community, clearly due to the established discrimination.