The Oct issue of Vogue (with the photo of Jimjams/SJP ironing ) had an interesting article in it (i only bought it for the shoe supplement!). Jill Dawson is the mother of a boy with Aspergers and the article talks a bit about AS, her son's diagnosis etc but also about a book she has just written called "Wild Boy" about a boy found in France 200 years ago who had been living alone in the woods. The idea is put forward that this boy was the first person who can be recognised as having autism. The book is a novel but written about the wild boy (Victor) and a local Dr who worked day and night with him for 6 years, determined to bring out his sociable side and teach him to be "normal". He developed a way of working with him that impressed an Italian educationalist so much that she based her schools on it - Maria Montessori!
This reminded me that I heard a long time ago, and don't know if its true, that the beginnings of ABA were based on how Helen Keller had been taught????????????