The Historiography of an Autism Diagnosis

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.558382323034

• Palavras-chave: Diagnosis; Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD); Institutional Discourse Analysis; Case study; Power-knowledge relationships.

• Keywords: Diagnosis; Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD); Institutional Discourse Analysis; Case study; Power-knowledge relationships.

• Abstract:

  In this article, we will analyze documents and reports about the journey of research and diagnostic evaluations that Daniel and his family went through between the years 2009 and 2012, before receiving the official medical report stating that he was an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ICD 10, F 84.0), only in 2014. But even before this report, Daniel was already seen and treated as an autistic boy. The analysis of this material will be instrumented by the thinking strategy of Institutional Discourse Analysis (Guirado M 2018; 1995/2018; 1987/2004), sometimes resorting to Michel Foucault's concepts of discourse and production of knowledge/power relations (1971/1996; 1983/1995; 2006; 1976/1985).   Through this analysis, it was possible to demonstrate the power relations and games that determine a certain production of knowledge about a boy (Daniel). In this case, the power games that produce Daniel's "diagnosis" are composed of several institutions, not only the Health ones, but also the School and the Family ones. In such a way that an "extra-official" discourse is created, which is not in the medical reports, but which affirms and naturalizes Daniel as a boy who has autism. Finally, these analytical conclusions encourage discussions about the place and effect of the evaluative procedures (reports, reports, tests, among others) of mental health professionals, especially those who work with children and adolescents with developmental syndromes and/or disorders.