Introduction:

This article analyzes the emergence of autism in Colombia and its relationship with the biomedical and cognitive-behavioral model. The theoretical-methodological basis of this document is Michel Foucault's sociohistorical proposal, which problematizes the conditions of possibilities of expert knowledge, such as psychology and psychiatry.

Development:

It is shown how the 1980s American psychiatric and psychological models were adopted by Anthiros, an institution specialized in the treatment of autism, based on a historical overview of the autistic disorder in the United States, from 1940s to 2010s. It is also evident how since the mid-1990's Anthiros made autistic disorders visible through the press and allowed some parents of subjects with this condition to internalize and reproduce the biomedical and behavioral explanations.

Conclusions:

Currently some parents do not need health professionals to reproduce the biomedical and behavioral postulates, which makes them the new drivers of autism awareness at the national level.

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