when was the first diagnosis of autism

The first diagnosis of autism as an independent condition was made by Dr. Leo Kanner in 1943. He described a group of 11 children exhibiting extreme social withdrawal, unusual speech patterns, repetitive behaviors, and strong attachments to routines, publishing his findings under the term "early infantile autism" in a seminal paper. Prior to this, the term "autism" was used by Eugen Bleuler in 1911 but only to describe a symptom of schizophrenia, not as a distinct condition. Kanner's work is considered the first formal diagnosis and recognition of autism as a unique developmental disorder separate from schizophrenia.