Lorna Wing facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lorna Wing
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Lorna Wing
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| Born |
Lorna Gladys Tolchard
7 October 1928 Gillingham, Kent, England, UK
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| Died | 6 June 2014 (aged 85) Kent, England, UK
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| Nationality | British |
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| Spouse(s) | Professor John Wing, FRCPsych |
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| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Medical Research Council Social Psychiatry Unit Institute of Psychiatry King's College London |
Lorna Gladys Wing (7 October 1928 – 6 June 2014) was an important English psychiatrist. She was a leader in understanding how children develop. Lorna Wing helped the world learn more about autism. She also introduced the term Asperger syndrome in 1976. She played a big part in starting the National Autistic Society (NAS) in the UK.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Lorna Gladys Tolchard was born in Gillingham, Kent. Her father, Bernard Newberry Tolchard, was an engineer in the Royal Navy. Her mother was Gladys Ethel.
Becoming a Doctor
Lorna went to Chatham Grammar School for Girls. In 1949, she began studying medicine. She trained at University College Hospital in London. After becoming a psychiatrist, she worked at the Institute of Psychiatry. This hospital is now part of King's College London.
Career and Research
Lorna Wing trained as a medical doctor. She chose to specialize in psychiatry. In 1959, she started focusing on developmental differences in children.
Understanding Autism Better
When Lorna Wing began her work, autism was thought to be very rare. People believed it affected only about 1 in 2,000 children. Thanks to her research, we now know autism is much more common. Today, it's thought to affect about 1 in 100 people.
The Autism Spectrum Idea
Lorna Wing worked closely with her colleague, Judith Gould. Their research changed how people think about autism. They created a special record system called the Camberwell Case Register. This system collected information about patients in London.
The information they gathered helped Lorna Wing realize something important. She saw that autism was not just one single condition. Instead, it was a "spectrum." This means autism can show up in many different ways. People on the autism spectrum have different strengths and challenges.
Helping Families and Popularizing Asperger Syndrome
Lorna Wing and Judith Gould also started a special center. It was called the Centre for Social and Communication Disorders. This was the first place in the UK to offer diagnosis and advice for these conditions.
Lorna Wing wrote many books and papers. One important paper was about Asperger Syndrome. It was published in 1981. This paper helped make the research of Hans Asperger well-known.
Founding the National Autistic Society
In 1962, Lorna Wing helped create an organization. She worked with parents of autistic children. This group is now known as the National Autistic Society in the UK. She continued to advise the NAS Lorna Wing Centre for Autism until she passed away. She was also the President of Autism Sussex.
In 1995, Lorna Wing received an important award. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. This award recognized her great work for the National Autistic Society.
Personal Life
Lorna met her future husband, John Wing, while they were both medical students. They married in 1950. Both of them became psychiatrists. John later became a professor of psychiatry.
A Personal Connection to Autism
Lorna Wing's daughter, Susie (born in 1956), was autistic. This personal experience deeply influenced Lorna Wing. It made her even more dedicated to researching developmental differences. She focused especially on autistic spectrum disorders.
Lorna Wing passed away on 6 June 2014 in Kent. She was 85 years old.
