A Mother Before a Pioneer Dr Lorna Wing did not set out to revolutionise autism research. Like many transformative figures in science, her journey began not in theory, but in lived experience. When her daughter Susie was born in 1956 and later diagnosed with severe autism at the age of three, the landscape was desolate—clinically, socially, and emotionally. Despite years of medical training, Lorna and her husband John, both psychiatrists, knew almost nothing about autism when

A Simplification That Simplifies Nothing The 5 th edition, published in 2013, set out to simplify and modernise the nosology of autism-related disorders, replacing the DSM-IV’s cluster of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs) — Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Rett’s Disorder [ 1 ] and PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) — with a single diagnosis: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The intent was, in principle, laudable: a spectrum

The question of how stable an autism diagnosis is over time has long been debated. While many families and clinicians view an autism diagnosis as lifelong, research suggests that diagnostic stability—how consistently a diagnosis persists over time—depends heavily on which diagnostic framework is used. Emerging evidence indicates that before the introduction of the broader ASD category in the DSM-5 (APA 2013), autism diagnoses were more stable and predictable. Before DSM-5: D

In most cases, ASD is diagnosed between 15 and 30 months. Some children exhibit typical early development, only to lose acquired language and social skills between 15 and 30 months. These cases qualify as regressive autism. However, there are instances of late onset autism where individuals appear to develop typically until adolescence or even adulthood before displaying symptoms consistent with autism. In such cases, an identifiable neurological insult, such as, e.g, herpes

Complex developmental path s Regression in autism refers to the loss of previously acquired developmental skills—such as spoken language, social interaction, play behaviour, motor coordination, or toileting skills. For example, a toddler who once used several words regularly might suddenly stop speaking, or a child who previously engaged in play with others may withdraw socially. What makes regression distinct from general developmental delay is that the child initially reac

Alexithymia is considered a “sub-clinical phenomenon” (Silani et al. 2008) and doesn’t identify a personality disorder per se but is a personality trait that is dimensional in nature (Taylor et al. 1991). Alexithymia is not a symptom of autism, but rather an independent construct that frequently co-occurs with autism. Although alexithymia has similar symptoms , it is distinct from autism – it is neither a necessary nor sufficient feature for an autism diagnosis, and there a

The connection between alexithymia and ASD was initially explored in the 1990s through clinical studies on individuals with eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa (AN). The studies revealed the co-occurrence of eating disorders with deficiencies in social competence and identified some traits that were considered typical of ASD, [ 1 ] such as empathy problems, as well as some features considered typical of alexithymia, such as difficulty verbalising emotions, ide

Overlapping symptoms and differences Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and ASD are two distinct condition. However, they share certain symptomatology that can lead to difficulties in differentiating between the two. NPD Note : The term "narcissism" comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus, a guy who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. While the concept has been around for centuries, it wasn't officially recognized as a personality disorder until the 2

Overlaps, prevalence and comorbidity Overlapping symptoms It is now recognised that ASD and personality disorders (PDs) have a variety of factors in common. However, the exact nature of the relationship between ASD and the PDs remains unclear. Differentiating between ASD in adolescence and adulthood and PDs can often be challenging due to the similarity in symptomatology. For instance: - PDs belonging to cluster A, such as schizoid or schizotypal, exhibit odd behaviours

Is there a hidden connection? Personality Disorders (PDs) and ASDs are distinct yet interconnected psychiatric disorders/ psychological conditions. Despite fundamental differences in their symptomatology and diagnostic criteria, both disorders share certain overlapping characteristics. Firstly, it is important to establish the defining features of PDs and ASDs. Personality Disorders are characterised by enduring patterns of thoughts, emotions, and inflexible, maladaptive, o

- Hello, where are you? - I am at home. - At home? Where? - I have one home, in England. Why? What’s happened? - Why did you leave without saying ‘goodbye’? It was great when you and your daughter came to see me. We visited friends and had fun. I was preparing your farewell party, but you left. You could have said goodbye… Thus began my conversation with my childhood friend (B.). We have be