Lorna Wing
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} Lorna Gladys Wing (7 October 1928 – 6 June 2014) was an English
psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...
. She was a pioneer in the field of childhood developmental disorders, who advanced understanding of autism worldwide, introduced the term
Asperger syndrome Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's, is a former neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in Interpersonal relationship, social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and re ...
in 1976 and was involved in founding the
National Autistic Society The National Autistic Society is the leading charity for autistic people and their families in the UK. Since 1962, the National Autistic Society has been providing support, guidance and advice, as well as campaigning for improved rights, serv ...
(NAS) in the UK.


Early life

Lorna Gladys Tolchard was born at
Gillingham, Kent Gillingham ( ) is a large town in the unitary authority area of Medway in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham. It is also the largest town in the ...
to Royal Navy engineer Bernard Newberry Tolchard (1898–1968) and Gladys Ethel (died 1962), née Whittell. Following education at
Chatham Grammar School for Girls Chatham Grammar School for Girls ("CGSG") is a girls grammar school with academy status and a mixed sixth form. In September 2017 it became a member school of the University of Kent Academies Trust (UKAT), joined with another secondary school ...
, she commenced medical training at
University College Hospital University College Hospital (UCH) is a teaching hospital in the Fitzrovia area of the London Borough of Camden, England. The hospital, which was founded as the North London Hospital in 1834, is closely associated with University College London ...
in 1949. After qualifying as a psychiatrist, her first post was at the
Institute of Psychiatry The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) is a research institution dedicated to discovering what causes mental illness and diseases of the brain. In addition, its aim is to help identify new treatments for them and ways ...
,
Maudsley Hospital The Maudsley Hospital is a British psychiatric hospital in south London. The Maudsley is the largest mental health training institution in the UK. It is part of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and works in partnership with the In ...
, London (now part of
King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...
).


Career

Although Wing trained as a medical doctor, specialising in psychiatry, her focus narrowed to childhood developmental disorders in 1959. At that time autism was thought to affect around 5 in 10,000 children, but its prevalence in the 2010s was considered to be around 1 in 100 following the awareness raised by Wing and her followers. Her research, particularly with her collaborator Judith Gould, now underpins thinking in the field of autism. They initiated the Camberwell Case Register to record all patients using psychiatric services in this area of London. The data accumulated by this innovative approach gave Wing the basis for her influential insight that autism formed a spectrum, rather than clearly differentiated disorders. They also set up the Centre for Social and Communication Disorders, the first integrated diagnostic and advice service for these conditions in the UK. Wing was the author of many books and academic papers, including ''Asperger Syndrome: a Clinical Account'', a February 1981 academic paper that popularised the research of
Hans Asperger Johann Friedrich Karl Asperger (, ; 18 February 1906 – 21 October 1980) was an Austrian psychiatrist. He is remembered for his pioneering studies of autism, specifically in children. His name was given to Asperger syndrome, a form of autism ...
. Along with some parents of autistic children, she founded the organisation now known as the
National Autistic Society The National Autistic Society is the leading charity for autistic people and their families in the UK. Since 1962, the National Autistic Society has been providing support, guidance and advice, as well as campaigning for improved rights, serv ...
in the UK in 1962. She was a consultant to NAS Lorna Wing Centre for Autism until she died. She was also President of Autism Sussex. In the
1995 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1995 were appointments by most of the sixteen Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those co ...
list Wing was appointed Officer of the
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
for 'services to the National Autistic Society'.


Personal life

Wing met her future husband John Wing (22 October 1923 – 18 April 2010) while they were dissecting the same body as
medical students A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, MB ...
. Marrying in 1950, both specialised as psychiatrists, with John becoming a professor of psychiatry. It was following their realisation that their daughter Susie (1956–2005) was autistic that Lorna Wing became involved in researching developmental disorders, particularly
autistic spectrum disorder The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
s. Lorna Wing died on 6 June 2014 in Kent, aged 85.


Hans Asperger controversy

Wing has faced controversy since the publication of Edith Sheffer's 2018 book, ''Asperger's Children'', due to Wing's previous defense of using
Hans Asperger Johann Friedrich Karl Asperger (, ; 18 February 1906 – 21 October 1980) was an Austrian psychiatrist. He is remembered for his pioneering studies of autism, specifically in children. His name was given to Asperger syndrome, a form of autism ...
's name for the "Asperger's Syndrome" diagnosis. According to a 2018 article by
John Donvan John Donvan (born 1955) is a journalist, broadcaster and debate moderator whose bestselling book, ''In a Different Key: The Story of Autism'', was a Pulitzer Prize Finalist. He serves as host of the Intelligence Squared US, a debate series dedicat ...
for ''The Atlantic'', Yale psychologist
Fred Volkmar Fred Robert Volkmar (born 1950 in Illinois) is a psychiatrist, psychologist, and the Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Psychology at the Yale School of Medicine. From 2006 to 2014, he was the director of the Yale Ch ...
, another major figure in the
autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
field, was on the committee appointed to investigate whether "Asperger’s syndrome" merited inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in 1993. Volkmar made phone call to the only person he knew who had ever met Asperger — Lorna Wing — and asked her whether she knew anything Hans Asperger's rumored ties to the Nazis. Wing, "shocked" at Volkmar's inquiry, had defended Asperger as a "religious man". According to researcher Herwig Czech, Asperger "hailed from
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
circles, and his orientation during the period of the revious Austriansystem was strictly Catholic". Donvan, the author of ''The Atlantic'' article, also included this information in his 2016 book, ''
In a Different Key The history of autism and autism advocacy are the subjects of the book'' In a Different Key: The Story of Autism'' written by John Donvan and Caren Zucker. The book discusses such issues as the Refrigerator mother theory and the possibility of ...
: The Story of Autism'', in which he described Wing as "speaking of ans Aspergers deep Catholic faith and lifelong devotion to young people", and claimed that Wing had dismissed Asperger's Nazi ties on account that "he spergerwas a very religious man". Prior to Wing's popularization of "Asperger's Syndrome" in the 1980s and early 1990s, Donvan writes, "Asperger, dead for thirteen years y 1993 adnever
een Een ːnis a village in the Netherlands. It is part of the Noordenveld municipality in Drenthe. History Een is an ''esdorp'' which developed in the middle ages on the higher grounds. The communal pasture is triangular. The village developed dur ...
a great presence on the world stage, ndremained a little-known figure".


Bibliography


Papers

* Wing, L. & Gould, J. (1979), "Severe Impairments of Social Interaction and Associated Abnormalities in Children: Epidemiology and Classification", ''Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders'', 9, pp. 11–29. * Wing, L. (1980). "Childhood Autism and Social Class: a Question of Selection?", ''
British Journal of Psychiatry The ''British Journal of Psychiatry'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal covering all branches of psychiatry with a particular emphasis on the clinical aspects of each topic. The journal is owned by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and publis ...
'', 137, pp. 410–17. * * Burgoine, E. & Wing, L. (1983), "Identical triplets with Asperger's Syndrome", ''
British Journal of Psychiatry The ''British Journal of Psychiatry'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal covering all branches of psychiatry with a particular emphasis on the clinical aspects of each topic. The journal is owned by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and publis ...
'', 143, pp. 261–65. * Wing, L. & Attwood, A. (1987), "Syndromes of Autism and Atypical Development", in Cohen, D. & Donnellan, A. (eds.), ''Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Disorders'', New York, John Wiley & Sons. * Wing, L. (1991), "The Relationship Between Asperger's Syndrome and Kanner's Autism", in Frith, U. (ed.), ''Autism and Asperger Syndrome'', Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. * Wing, L. (1992), "Manifestations of Social Problems in High Functioning Autistic People", in Schopler, E. & Mesibov, G. (eds.), ''High Functioning Individuals with Autism'', New York, Plenum Press. *


Books

* 1964, ''Autistic Children'' * 1966, ''Physiological Measures,
Sedative A sedative or tranquilliser is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement. They are CNS depressants and interact with brain activity causing its deceleration. Various kinds of sedatives can be distinguished, but t ...
Drugs and Morbid
Anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...
'', with M.H. Lader * 1969, ''Children Apart: Autistic Children and Their Families'' * 1969, ''Teaching Autitistic Autistic Children: Guidelines for Teachers'' * 1971, ''Autistic Children: a Guide for Parents'' * 1975, ''Early Childhood Autism: Clinical, Educational and Social Aspects'' (editor) * 1975, ''What is
Operant conditioning Operant conditioning, also called instrumental conditioning, is a learning process where behaviors are modified through the association of stimuli with reinforcement or punishment. In it, operants—behaviors that affect one's environment—are c ...
?'' * 1988, ''Aspects of Autism: Biological Research'' (editor) * 1989, ''Hospital Closure and the Resettlement of Residents: Case of Darenth Park Mental Handicap Hospital'' * 1995, ''Autistic Spectrum Disorders: an Aid to Diagnosis'' * 1996, ''The Autistic Spectrum: a Guide for Parents and Professionals'' * 2002, ''Smiling at Shadows: a Mother's Journey Raising an Autistic Child'' (with Junee Waites, Helen Swinbourne).


References


External links


National Autistic Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wing, Lorna 1928 births 2014 deaths Autism activists Autism researchers English psychiatrists Fellows of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Officers of the Order of the British Empire British women psychiatrists