From changelings to extraterrestrials: popular metaphors and the "otherness" of autistic behavior

While evolution of the modern concept of autism dates from the middle of the twentieth century, evidence suggests that behaviors which are now considered autistic have occurred in the human species since its prehistoric origins (Spikins). The cause of autism is unknown, and its diagnosis can be controversial, but its most extreme manifestations are a perceived lack of social skills, impaired language development, and repetitive, ritualistic behavior to which the autistic individual is highly attached. In the late twentieth century a recognition that these symptoms can also occur in less extreme forms led to an expansion of the concept into an autistic spectrum that encompasses both classic autism and the milder condition known as Asperger's syndrome. Given the mysterious nature of autism, it is not surprising that in earlier times descriptions of unusual individuals who were regarded as "changelings" or "feral children" often included characteristics similar to those of persons currently diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. More recently, as space exploration captured the popular imagination in the mid-twentieth century, descriptions of "visitors from outer space" in terms of autistic behavior have become more prevalent. Although ideas surrounding changelings, feral children, and extraterrestrials developed independently from the concept of autism, the similarities between the ascribed characteristics of these exceptional beings and autistic persons have drawn the attention of the medical community and, interestingly, have appeared in more recent literature describing individuals with autism. Yet while the metaphors used to describe individuals with autism have evolved over time, their consistent focus on the "otherness" of these individuals raises interesting questions about conceptions of normalcy in Western society.