Common Origin” for Autism and Schizophrenia?

Common Origin” for Autism and Schizophrenia?
by Kristina Chew, PhD on December 17th, 2008
What goes around, comes around.

1952. The DSM-I says this about “000-x28 Schizophrenic reaction, childhood type”:

Here will be classified those schizophrenic reactions occurring before puberty. The clinical picture may differ from schizophrenic reactions occurring in other age periods because of the immaturity and plasticity of the patient at the time of onset of the reaction. Psychotic reactions in children, manifesting primarily autism, will be classified here. [via Unstrange.com; my emphases]

And in 1968, in the DSM-II, here is the definition of “295.8 Schizophrenia, childhood type”:

This category is for cases in which schizophrenic symptoms appear before puberty. The condition may be manifested by autistic, atypical and withdrawn behavior; failure to develop identity separate from the mother’s; and general unevenness, gross immaturity and inadequacy of development. These developmental defects may result in mental retardation, which should also be diagnosed.[via Unstrange.com; my emphases]

Before autism was “autism” as we talk about it today, and before there was such a thing as “autism spectrum disorder,” autism was “childhood schizophrenia.” Now bring up autism and schizophrenia in the same conversation and you’ll get a heated response. Back in February, Dr. Nancy Minshew, Director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Excellence in Autism Research, was quoted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as saying that, in the past, some autistic children may have been mislabeled as schizophrenic, and placed in state hospitals or institutions; some (mis)interpreted her comments as somehow as suggesting that autistic children were schizophrenic, when Dr. Minshew was noting the differences in how we once classified and spoke about autism, in contrast to how we do today. Drawing on a new theory about autism and genetics, a November article suggested that autism and schizophrenia are the same disease.

A review of the research literature by developmental psychologist Annemie Ploeger suggests that autism and schizophrenia share a common origin. The review is from Ploeger’s doctoral thesis, “Towards an integration of evolutionary psychology and developmental science: New insights from evolutionary developmental biology” and is summarized in the December 16th Science Daily. Ploeger looked at whether there was a connection between autism and schizophrenia by focusing on the first month of pregnancy. She noted certain “physical abnormalities” in autistic children: “protruding ears,” “peculiar toes,” “a large head and intestinal problems.”