Free children from shackles of Asperger’s title

Hans Asperger, the erstwhile prominent Viennese paediatrician, could never have envisaged the global phenomenological fervour which enveloped and exponentially developed his collated observations on the perceived ‘psychopathy’ exhibited by some children with apparent communication, social-skillset, peer-empathy and physical adroitness issues.

No doubt his diligent observations had valid merit in pursuit of additional understanding of developmental social-psychology, but the formal ‘syndromisation’ of same in the 1990’s has hardly covered itself in authentic glory or convincing legitimacy.

The burgeoning lists of celebrated historical figures across the spheres of politics, arts and sciences, who have now been posthumously awarded a diagnosis bearing Dr Asperger’s name (re-conjured as a syndrome) is astounding: Lincoln, Mozart, Beethoven, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Einstein and Edison etc.