dr. Boven was the first to examine the complete work of three child psychiatrists: George Frankl (1897-1975), Hans Asperger (1906-1980) and Leo Kanner (1894-1981). Asperger and Kanner were the first to describe ‘classical autism’ and ‘Asperger’s syndrome’, older diagnoses that have now merged into the autism spectrum. George Frankl worked with both Asperger’s and Kanner, which explains why both introduced the idea of autism in children at the same time, around 1943.
Not completely solitary
The dissertation of Dr. Upstairs has the title Solitaire people? The question mark is essential. His conclusion is that autistic children are not completely solitary, but only make contact in a different way. He also discovered that Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner saw autism as a disorder of the entire personality. This idea has completely disappeared. dr. Boven: “I think that’s a shame because, contrary to contemporary theories, their holistic approach covers all the symptoms of autism.”
‘Refrigerator Mothers’
The thesis contains a number of new discoveries: “Contrary to popular belief, Kanner did not believe that autism is caused by ‘refrigerator mothers’. Another discovery is that Kanner did not ignore Asperger’s work, as is commonly believed, but contributed to making it known in Anglophone countries.” The dissertation is available in bookshops.
Autism Digital
Besides being a researcher, Frederik Boven is director of Autism Digital. Through this foundation he gives for free in February and March 2022 webinars on the autism theories of Frankl, Asperger, and Kanner.
By: National Education Guide
Image: Autism Digital
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