In 1980, the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) was released by the American Psychiatric Association.
For the first time, “Infantile Autism” was included as a formal diagnosis, marking a major shift in the medical and psychological understanding of the condition (APA, 1980).
Until this point, autistic kids were often misdiagnosed with schizophrenia or intellectual disability (or intellectual disability only, since autism and ID can indeed coexist, but one is not a form of the other, nor does one cause the other).
The DSM-III established clearer boundaries between these conditions and positioned autism as a developmental disorder, not a psychotic one.
Key Diagnostic Criteria
The DSM-III described infantile autism as a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) characterized by:
- Onset before 30 months of age
- Gross deficits in language development
- Lack of responsiveness to others
- Gross deficits in social interaction
- Resistance to change, or insistence on sameness
This formalized definition made it easier for clinicians to recognize and diagnose autism.
However, the criteria were still narrow, largely reflecting Dr. Kanner’s original cases rather than the broader spectrum we now understand.
The Impact of Formal Recognition
The inclusion of autism in the DSM-III led to increased awareness and funding for autism research and services.
Educational institutions, insurance providers and government agencies could now begin to allocate resources specifically for kids diagnosed as autistic.
However, many children who would today be considered “on the spectrum” were still left out.
Those with milder symptoms, particularly in communication or social interaction, often went undiagnosed, not even referred to see a psychologist at all.
That doesn’t mean they weren’t noticed by teachers and classmates, along with family members, as being “weird,” “strange,” “odd,” “too sensitive,” “antisocial” or some other unfavorable descriptor.
- Autistic children with less obvious signs have always been around; they were just called those different names – or sometimes the descriptor wasn’t all that bad, such as “the brainy kid who’s funny as hell but doesn’t try to be.”
This gap set the stage for the future introduction of Asperger syndrome and broader spectrum criteria.
Changing Terminology and Classification
The 1980s also marked a broader move away from terms like “psychosis” in childhood.
With autism now categorized under the pervasive developmental disorders umbrella, it was viewed more as a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition than as a form of childhood mental illness.
This new classification began to influence how autism was studied, understood and supported, paving the way for broader definitions and greater inclusion in the decades ahead.
Next: Part 6 in this 10-part series: Asperger Syndrome in DSM-IV Expands Autism Scope
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical and fitness topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer. In 2022 she received a diagnosis of Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder.
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