Asperger: Hero or Villain?
The outdated term “Asperger’s syndrome”, which was used to diagnose a less severe form of autism, stemmed from Hans Asperger’s name. Asperger, an Austrian doctor, was a pioneer in autism studies in the 1920s, around the same time that the Nazi Party in Vienna was slowly rising in popularity. Asperger was regarded positively as a researcher who believed in the potential of autistic children to succeed in society and supported them. Asperger came up with the idea that autism is a spectrum, with every case manifesting itself in a different way. The idea of a spectrum rather than permanent labels was another reason why people supported Asperger’s work. He seemed to be a compassionate resister of Nazism who emphasized children’s special abilities to save them from Nazi killings of disabled people.
However, author and historian Edith Sheffer discovered in Asperger’s district Nazi party file that officials deemed him to be a supporter of the Nazi regime and its racial policies. She also saw in his professional and patient records that he actively participated in Vienna’s child-killing program. Records indicate that Asperger also endorsed the transfer of dozens of children to their deaths at Spiegelgrund, Vienna’s death center.
His role in the child-killing program and support for promising autistic children contradicted each other, but the double-sided nature of his actions embodied the double-sided nature of Nazism as a whole. Jewish people were to be eliminated as a race, but those with Slavic heritage could be Germanized and assimilated into society. Similarly, those with autism that seemed to have special abilities or be a savant in some sort were treated so that they could be integrated into society, while those with severe disabilities were sent to the death center. Eugenics, a method of reengineering the population, was used to breed out the inferior and create a superior, pure Aryan race. People with disabilities, among many other groups, were considered to be part of the inferior.
Sheffer disdained Asperger and his findings in her novel when she wrote, “His final 1944 description has had a lasting impact. His words live on, shaping the lives and the self-images of millions of individuals”. Even today, negative stereotypes about autistic individuals are perpetuated and those with disabilities continue to face discrimination. On the other hand, British psychiatrist Lorna Wing believes that even Asperger’s description of “sadistic traits” and children who “delight in malice” has helped to shape the modern understanding of autism spectrum disorder. Without his research, we could not have built on the notion of a spectrum and savant syndrome.
Asperger’s work in Nazi Vienna leaves us with a bit of cognitive dissonance. His research served as a pioneering force in the field for acknowledging the spectrum as a whole and potential of individuals, but he may have deliberately sent many young children to their death. Because of the new findings that have come to light regarding Asperger’s dark actions, people have urged for the term “Asperger’s syndrome” to no longer be used as a diagnosis. However, others believe that his tainted image should be no reason to ignore his major contributions to the autism research field and that the past cannot be erased. Many even disagree that there is sufficient evidence to claim that Asperger truly played a role in the Nazi movement for purification. Ultimately, both sides should be taken into consideration. We should not forget the cruel treatment that those with disabilities had to endure in the Nazi era and Holocaust (regardless of whether it was at the hands of Asperger or others), but we should also remember the work of influential leaders in the field.
