Classic autism
former developmental disorder, since DSM-V replaced by Autism Spectrum Condition, type 2-3, with, or without, intellectual development disorder
Classic autism—also known as childhood autism, autistic disorder, or Kanner's syndrome—is a formerly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder first described by Leo Kanner in 1943. It is characterized by atypical and impaired development in social interaction and communication as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors, activities, and interests. These symptoms first appear in early childhood and persist throughout life.
Classic autism was last recognized as a diagnosis in the DSM-IV and ICD-10, and has been superseded by autism-spectrum disorder in the DSM-5 (2013) and ICD-11 (2022). Globally, classic autism was estimated to affect 24.8 million people as of 2015.
Autism is likely caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, with genetic factors thought to heavily predominate. Certain proposed environmental causes of autism have been met with controversy, such as the fraudulent vaccine hypothesis that, although disproved, has negatively impacted vaccination rates among children.
Since the DSM-5/ICD-11, the term "autism" more commonly refers to the broader autism spectrum.
Characteristics
Autism is a highly variable neurodevelopmental disorder whose symptoms first appear during infancy or childhood, and generally follow a steady course without remission. Autistic people may be severely impaired in some respects but average, or even superior, in others.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Classic autism” is former developmental disorder, since DSM-V replaced by Autism Spectrum Condition, type 2-3, with, or without, intellectual development disorder. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Classic, autism and former, not as a finished interpretation.
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Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1104126. The first chronological checks are 1943, 2013, 2022 and 2015.
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This entry incorporates text from “Classic autism” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.