What was autism called in ancient times?

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In Anglo society your choices were limited. If you were ASpie, you ended up being the super religious old guy who lived by himself in the woods, or the crazy cat lady who never got married, lived by herself and might be a witch. If you were low functioning Autistic, you were probably labelled 'idiot-savant'. There are historic examples.

I would not be surprised to learn that some were stoned to death in childhood, thus keeping the number of autistic low. and the rest were probably hidden away and not spoken about.

Some became misunderstood scientists, inventors and artists that we now look up to.

Like Nikola Tesla ????

I'm sure before autism was discovered, people probably either thought they were insane, mentally ill, or really eccentric. Some were probably considered witches in the 1600s. Probably a lot were thrown into asylums needlessly as well. I'm so glad I wasn't around during those times.

Well, in some societies those who might have been Autistic were regarded as seers. I guess the thinking was that they were so different, they must be in touch with the divine.

I think I may of hit on it, why is there so much folklore about demonically possessed children illustrated well last century by such block buster movies such as the Exorcist and the Omen?. Probably not only with epilepsy by also other childhood conditions such as autism were treated through trepanation If this theory is correct there should be evidence of a high proportion of children's skulls with holes cut in them.

I found a more modern day case of one here . Not trapanation but for one of those so called excorcism rituals on an autistic child.

Paul

I think it depends on which ancient time we're referring to, and which culture.
Maybe the culture is the more important factor.
I'm sure that there were and are just as many that have seen their autistic and aspie people as prophets, wise men/women, teachers, priests, and oracles as those which have seen them as possessed, witches or ret*ds to be shunned by society.

I bet Jesus was an Aspie. He knew a lot of cool s**t and couldn't get a date...

Autism used to be reguarded as a form of Skitsofrenia (I know that isn't spelled right but I think you know what I mean.)

Crazy cat lady? That's ME!

What did they call autistics in the 1950s?

As far as ancient history, I do not know. But, this I do know: My paternal uncle (born in the 1920's) was profoundly autistic, institutionalized his entire life with no contact, and never spoke a word. At that time, he was classified as "childhood schizophrenia," which was, in that era, synonymous with autism!! !

And, my grandfather (a botanical chemist, MD) said (of those in my family afflicted with autism, especially the women): Hysteria. I think he said this since he was influenced by Freud's pioneering work.

Still, I think many Aspies may just be considered eccentric.

In many northern countries there was a belief that the faeries, landspirits, wee folk or whatever would take away children and replace them with their own. The descriptions of some of these children tally with autism or aspergers- some were mute, some appeared to posess knowledge far beyond their years or had strange fears or habits. Others had some other form of disability, sickness or deformity. In some places and at some times it was permissable to drown or burn the children alive (folk belief dictated that the mothers' real child would be returned if she performed the correct rituals) and the medieval church deemed these children to be "massae carnis" literally lumps of (souless) flesh animated by demons, and condoned their destruction. There are, however, many stories in Scottish folklore (probably in other contries as well) about these children or their descendants becoming great seers, healers or smiths.

http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/britchange.html

Found some of interest in the link below:

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stor ... 309455.htm

Really they should approach autism without applying any of their values, as it seems their blinded that we are disabled Extroverted people, most people don't accept that their is such a thing as Introverted, if one can not remove they value system you will always be blinded by your own values, own kind, & own dilution of everyone using the same system, 1 thing might mean something to you than another person might not care, they always want to protect their value system, you either throw information out, don't listen at all, only take in what you want to hear or take action to prove its true while it would be true with the lack of effort put in or closed as they can't find anything else and apply it to they own value system as been right... This can happen in the same group under the false of everyone having the same right and wrong, this is where the term remove yourself & place yourself in someone else’s shoes (you can't do it if you apply your value system to them and not just approach it with a open ended super gate of possible outcomes than apply your own and then approach as the person will always disagree with you or correct you then they will insult you as you think your always right...

An extroverted person explaining an introvert