when was autism identified

Autism was first described as a distinct condition in 1943 by psychiatrist Leo Kanner, who published a paper on “early infantile autism.” The word “autism” itself, however, was introduced earlier in 1911 by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler to describe a withdrawal seen in some people with schizophrenia, not yet as its own developmental condition.

So, in simple terms:

• 1911 → the term “autism” is coined (as a symptom of schizophrenia).

• 1943 → autism is identified and described as a separate condition in children by Leo Kanner.