Hans Asperger assisted and brook a Nazi programme that kill disabled children , previously unobserved records have present .

Asperger has been hail as a pioneer for his body of work on identifying a number of characteristics he called " autistic psychopathy " , which became the basis for the diagnoses of the condition that became cognize as Asperger ’s .

The Austrian doctor claimed during his lifetime that he had protected his patients from the Nazi regimen , theBBC reports , saying he was want by the Gestapo for refusing to turn over child under his care . He had been seen as an opponent of Nazi ideology before his decease in 1980 .

Inan interview , he publicly express that he saw Nazi treatment of the mentally ill and handicapped ( his Bible ) as " inhuman " .

" I was never willing to swallow [ Hitler ’s concept that the lives of the mentally handicapped are worthless ] in other words , to send word the Health Office of the mentally deficient   – this was a really life-threatening position for me , " he said . He went on to accredit his mentor for protect him from the Gestapo , despite his anti - Nazi views .

However , anew subject of recordsby   medical historian Herwig Czech has shown that Asperger sent patients to the Am Spiegelgrund clinic , the " euthanasia " clinic where 789 child were kill , in the main through lethal injectant or gassing .

Other kid at the clinic , many of whom had stark mental problems or impairment , died through famishment and diseases picked up there , or were subjected to inhumane medical experiment .

Documents previously thought to have been destroyed show that Asperger " actively cooperated " with the small fry euthanasia program , and was honour by the Nazi regime for it . In telephone exchange for his loyalty and active   participation in the programme he receive career chance , the study published inMolecular Autismconcludes .

As well as that , he publicly legitimized " raceway hygienics " policies including force sterilization . Through his employment , he   take in a reputation amongst the leaders of the Nazi party   as " someone willing to go along with race hygiene policies " , document bring up in the survey suggest .

The news has obviously caused some masses with Asperger ’s , antecedently considered a sales booth alone diagnosing but which now go down under the umbrella of Autism Spectrum Disorder ( ASD ) , some discomfort .

talk of the decision to publish the article , the journal ’s editorstold the Huffington Post :   " We are aware that the article and its publication will be controversial . ”

More than 1 in 100 people are diagnosed with ASD , who may now feel denounce being associate with a precondition that bears his name .

" We think that it deserve to be print in fiat to exhibit the Sojourner Truth about how a aesculapian doctor who , for a long clip , was seen as only having made worthful contributions to the field of paediatrics and child psychiatry , was guilty of actively assisting the Nazis in their abhorrent eugenics and mercy killing policies . "

The National Autistic Society has since released a statement , reassuring everybody : " plainly no - one with a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome should feel in any way taint by this very troubling account . "