April 19 (UPI) -- Hans Asperger, a pioneer in autism research, was a Nazi collaborator who sent children to their deaths before and during World War II, new research published Thursday said.
Asperger, whose name was used for an condition known as "Asperger's syndrome," is regarded as an innovator in autism treatment. A study by Herwig Czech indicates he actively contributed to a Nazi eugenics program that attempted to improve human populations through controlled breeding and "race hygiene" -- by weeding out persons with undesirable inheritable characteristics.