Backstory

The association of the term "Asperger's Syndrome" with Dr. Hans Asperger, the Austrian pediatrician who first described the condition, has become controversial due to revelations about his connections to Nazi ideology and policies during World War II. These findings, largely brought to public attention through historical research in recent decades, have prompted a reevaluation of honoring Asperger's name within the autism community.

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Alternative Frameworks

Given advancements in autism research, many argue there is no need to continue using Asperger’s outdated diagnostic term when autism can now be understood as a spectrum. The DSM-5 already phased out Asperger’s Syndrome in 2013, simplifying it under Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

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Who was Hans Asperger?

Dr. Hans Asperger was a pediatrician in Vienna who, during the 1940s, observed and recorded behaviors of children with social and communication difficulties, restricted interests, and rigid patterns of behavior. His work focused on children who were often highly intelligent and verbal but struggled with social integration. He referred to these children as having "autistic psychopathy," describing traits that were later incorporated into the diagnostic category known as Asperger's Syndrome (introduced much later in the 1980s). His research differed from studies by Dr. Leo Kanner, the American psychiatrist who had described "classic autism" — which was more associated with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Controversy: Asperger’s Links to Nazism

During World War II, Austria was under Nazi control, and Hans Asperger worked as a physician in a medical system heavily influenced by the eugenics policies of the Nazi regime. Under Adolf Hitler's ideology, the Nazis sought to create a "genetically pure" society and implemented programs to eliminate individuals with disabilities, who were deemed genetically "unfit." This included the T4 Euthanasia Program, in which individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities were systematically killed or experimented upon in Nazi-held institutions.

Recent historical studies, including those by medical historian Herwig Czech in 2018, uncovered documented evidence suggesting that Asperger was more deeply implicated in Nazi practices than previously understood.

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Key accusations include:

Deference to Nazi Ideology. Asperger demonstrated support for Nazi policies like eugenics. While he did not formally join the Nazi Party, historical documents show that he aligned himself with its ideology to advance his career. For instance, he wrote approvingly of concepts like heredity and racial purity in his academic work to better align with Nazi scientific standards.

Referrals to Am Spiegelgrund Clinic

One of the more disturbing findings involves Asperger's role in referring children with severe disabilities to the Am Spiegelgrund Clinic, a facility notorious for participating in the Nazi euthanasia program. Many children sent to this clinic were murdered or subjected to inhumane experiments. Asperger, in some cases, identified children as "uneducable" or "unsuitable for care," which, under Nazi policies, often equated to a death sentence.

Selective Protection of Autistic Children

 Asperger’s notes reveal he often framed certain children with autism-like traits (e.g., those with high intelligence or perceived skills) as "useful" or "potentially productive" to society, while deeming others with more severe disabilities as less worthy of care. By selectively protecting children with autism who exhibited "acceptable" traits, he may have allowed more severely impaired children to face euthanasia or institutionalization.

Public Misrepresentation?

After the war, Asperger portrayed himself as a victim of, or as someone who resisted, the Nazis. This narrative persisted for decades but has been challenged by contemporary research that paints him more as a collaborator willing to act within the Nazi system, even if indirectly or pragmatically.