Eric Schopler

Eric Schopler (February 8, 1927 – July 7, 2006) was a German-born American psychologist whose research into autism led to the foundation of the Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) program.

Personal life Eric Schopler was born February 8, 1927, in Fürth, Germany to Erna Oppenheimer Schopler and Ernst Schopler, who were Jewish. In 1938 his family fled Nazi Germany and emigrated to the U.S., where they settled in Rochester, New York.

Schopler married Betsy Burch in 1953 and together they had three children: Bobby, Tom and Susie.

Military service and education After graduating from high school, Schopler joined the United States Army. In 1949 Schopler earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago. In 1955, he attained a graduate degree in Social Service Administration. He earned a PhD in clinical child psychology in 1964. All three degrees were attained at the University of Chicago. and he was made co-director of the program in 1972. that has led to an enhanced understanding of autistic individuals. Schopler showed that most autistic children did not have mental disorders, as was believed by many at the time. He also proved that parents of autistic children could be effective collaborators in the treatment and education of their children. Thanks to these TEACCH results, in 1972, Schopler's methods were rolled out statewide in North Carolina schools and special state-funded clinics.

In 1973, Schopler was made a full professor at UNC. In the 1987 study, Lovaas claimed that nearly half the test subjects he assigned to receive intensive, longterm applied behavior analysis had fully "recovered" from autism and co-occurring intellectual disability. Schopler, Short and Mesibov claimed Lovaas' study was compromised by flawed outcome measures, subject selection bias and inadequate controls. They stated, "Based on these issues, the most conservative conclusion to be drawn is that it is not possible to determine the effects of this intervention."

Schopler was a member of the Society for Research in Child Development, American Association on Mental Deficiency, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. He also served on the advisory boards of the Autism Society of America, the Autism Society of North Carolina, the Linwood Children's Center (Ellicott City, Maryland) and Bitter Sweet Farms (Toledo, Ohio).

Recognition He received the following recognition for his work: 1972 - American Psychiatric Association's Gold Achievement Award for Child Research Project 1985 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's O. Max Gardner Award for contributions to human welfare 1993 - North Carolina Award for public service 1997 - American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Advancement of Knowledge and Service 2005 - Autism Society of North Carolina's Lifetime Achievement Award 2006 - American Psychological Foundation's gold medal for Life Achievement in the Application of Psychology 2007 - North Carolina General Assembly Resolution 2007-17 (honoring Schopler's life and memory)

Publications More than 200 articles and books related to autism were written by Schopler. Below is a partial list of some of the works he edited or co-authored.

Eric Schopler; Robert J. Reichler. (editors). Psychopathology and Child Development: Research and Treatment. New York: Plenum Press, 1976. Michael Rutter; Eric Schopler. (editors). Autism: A reappraisal of concepts and treatment. New York: Plenum Press, 1978. . Eric Schopler; Gary B. Mesibov. Psychoeducational Profile - Revised (PEP-R). Pro-Ed; 1 January 1979. . Eric Schopler; Robert J. Reichler; Margaret D. Lansing. Individualized Assessment and Treatment for Autistic and Developmentally Disabled Children. University Park Press, 1980. Eric Schopler; Robert Reichler; Margaret D. Lansing. Teaching Strategies for Parents and Professionals: Volume II. 1980. Eric Schopler; Margaret D. Lansing; Leslie Waters. Teaching Activities for Autistic Children: Volume III. Part of the series Individualized Assessment and Treatment for Autistic and Developmentally Disabled Children. University Park Press, 1982. Eric Schopler; Gary B. Mesibov. Autism in Adolescents and Adults. Springer; 28 February 1983. . Eric Schopler; Gary B. Mesibov. (editors) Communication Problems in Autism. Springer; 31 May 1985 . Eric Schopler; Gary B. Mesibov. Social Behavior in Autism. Springer; 28 February 1986. . Eric Schopler; Robert J. Reichler; Barbara Rochen Renner. The childhood autism rating scale (CARS) for diagnostic screening and classification of autism. New York: Irvington, 1986. Eric Schopler; Gary B. Mesibov. Neurobiological Issues in Autism. Springer; 30 April 1987. . Gary Mesibov; Eric Schopler. Adolescent and Adult Psychoeducational Profile (AAPEP). Pro-Ed; 1 September 1988. . Eric Schopler; Gary B. Mesibov. Diagnosis and Assessment in Autism. Springer; 30 September 1988. . Gary B. Mesibov; Eric Schopler; Bruce Schaffer; Rhonda Landrus. Adolescent and Adult Psychoeducational Profile (AAPEP): Volume IV (1988). Pro-ed, 1989. . Linda R. Watson; Catherine Lord; Bruce Schaffer; Eric Schopler. Teaching Spontaneous Communication to Autistic and Developmentally Handicapped Children. 'New York: Irvington Publishers Inc., 1988. ' Eric Schopler; Mary Elizabeth Van Bourgondien; Marie M. Bristol. (editors). Preschool Issues in Autism. New York: Plenum Press, 1993. Part of the series Current Issues in Autism. Eric Schopler; Gary B. Mesibov. Behavioral Issues in Autism. Springer; 31 March 1994 . Eric Schopler; Gary B. Mesibov. Learning and cognition in autism. Plenum Press; 1995. . Eric Schopler; Gary B. Mesibov. (editors). Parent Survival Manual: A Guide to Crisis Resolution in Autism and Related Developmental Disorders. Springer; 30 June 1995 . Eric Schopler; Gary B. Mesibov; Linda J. Kunce. Asperger Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism?. Springer; 30 April 1998 . Eric Schopler; Nurit Yimiya; Cory Shulman; Lee M. Marcus (editors). The Research Basis for Autism Intervention. Plenum Publishing, 2001. Gary B. Mesibov; Victoria Shea; Eric Schopler. The TEACCH Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer; 7 December 2004. .