Many parents, relatives and carers of people who are now described having an ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) will be familiar with the name, if not all the achievements, of Lorna Wing.
This remarkable woman died on June 6th, and will be gratefully remembered by many. As a psychiatrist (and the mother of an autistic daughter) she pioneered research into autism, along the way introducing the phrase Asperger Syndrome into the English language, defining the first diagnostic tests for autism, and founding the National Autistic Society. This obituary was published in the Daily Telegraph.
The National Autistic Society (NAS) has now published its own tribute to Lorna Wing on its website:
Dr Wing developed the concept of autism as a spectrum condition in the 1970s, and later coined the term Asperger syndrome. Her work revolutionised the way autism was regarded, and her influence was felt across the globe.
As a researcher and clinician, as well as mother to a child with autism, she always advocated for better understanding and services for people with autism and their families.
NAS President Jane Asher said: “It is entirely due to Lorna Wing that I ever became involved in autism.I shall miss her terribly, and the world of autism has lost one of its greatest and most important figures.”