Lorna Wing & Judith Gould: Pioneers in Autism Research
The formidable British duo who helped cast light on the Autism spectrum
It’s difficult to overstate the impact that psychiatrist Lorna Wing, MD, and clinical psychologist Judith Gould, PhD, had on the field of autism and autism research.
In the early 1970s, the British doctors found their respective lines of work and insights converging in London. Together they described the ‘triad of impairments’—a set of behaviors often found in children on the autism spectrum—that are still used to identify autism today. Their research partnership would also be the beginning of a life-long friendship.
Dr. Lorna Wing: A Personal Quest for Knowledge
When Dr. Lorna Wing first described autism as a mental disorder resulting in a child’s “lack of ability to understand and use the rules governing social behavior,” her pivotal insight was initially overlooked. However, as a mother of a severely autistic daughter, Dr. Wing’s desire to understand the disorder was deeply personal, and she continued to push her research forward.
Dr. Wing’s work in epidemiology at the Institute of Psychiatry in London in the 1970s helped characterize autism as a syndrome, or a combination of social and communication deficiencies evidenced by a lack of pretend play in children. University College London emeritus professor Uta Frith noted: “It is still amazing to me that Lorna spotted that autistic children lack pretend play, a seemingly small thing with big consequences. This observation was crucial in understanding how the social impairments of autism result from a neurocognitive deficit in ‘theory of mind,’ or ‘mentalizing.’”
Dr. Wing passed away on June 6, 2014 at the age of 85, but her contributions to autism research continue to live on. Read the New York Times’ tribute to Dr. Wing here.
Dr. Judith Gould: Shining a Light on the Overlooked
Dr. Judith Gould has dedicated over 40 years of her life trying to better understand autism and learning disabilities. Early in her remarkable career, Dr. Gould worked at the Medical Research Council Social Psychiatry Unit and served as a senior lecturer at the University of London’s Institute of Psychiatry. She’s also worked for health and social services as a clinical psychologist, and she’s widely published on the topic of autism spectrum disorders.
Today, Dr. Gould continues her work with a special focus on diagnosing autism in girls and women—something she believes has been much overlooked by the medical community. Without proper diagnosis, girls and women are often set up for a life of self-harm and eating disorders.
Hear from Dr. Gould in her own words here.
Building a Legacy Together
In 1991, Drs. Lorna Wing and Judith Gould—with an endorsement from the National Autistic Society—co-founded the Centre for Social and Communication Disorders for diagnosis, assessment and guidance, serving both children and adults. In 2008, it was renamed the Lorna Wing Centre for Autism and Dr. Gould served as the Centre’s director until 2015.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one in 100 children globally fall somewhere on the autism spectrum, making it especially meaningful that these two women radically upended and redefined our understanding of autism and its associated behaviors.
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Lorna Wing
Judith Gould
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