Doctors want to screen out embryos with autism
Posted by
asteroids
on 3rd January 2010
at 13:10
I did hear something about this a few months ago. Ironically, the scientists who are researching this are probably on the spectrum themselves so they are plotting their own extinction.....if you see what I mean :)
Asteroids Sara - Community Champion
Posted by
Sesley
on 3rd January 2010
at 16:25
There are those who feel they have a right to choose to get pregant and choose what kind of child they want.In the same way as people get to choose to keep a downs syndrome pregnancy going. All because a society wants so called perfection. It is eugenice that the human race is going down if this practice becomes popular.While disabilies like autism and downs are portrayed so negatively then the neurotypical people will always avoid ,if they can some thing they fear.The only way to combat this is for the NAS and related bodies to celebrate the positives of ASD promoting the artistic,musical,scientists,the mathetiatians and the computer genius's.
Posted by
bumblebee
on 3rd January 2010
at 18:26
Hi Sara,
I loved your take on this and you're absolutely right!!
It's such a shame that there is so much ignorance and that Autism is viewed at as an inperfection to be erased from the human race.....it's ironic really because if you imagine offering these parents a future Einstein, scientist etc.. they would probably jump at the chance!! Let alone a child that cannot lie sucessfully, will stick to the rules and will have little interest in nightclubs and partying as a teenager!! Ok so it isn't quite so simple but to be fair to our kids, there are so many positives as well as negatives and if you look at the negatives, they are often, difficulties stemming from a lack of or completely irrelevant support!
Claire - Community Champion
Posted by
Snowdrop
on 3rd January 2010
at 20:15
Hi all
Just had a nose at this article, I'd love to ask the question, what happens if the couples have the procedure & then have a baby girl with autism??!!
One thing though, the article mentioned that 10% of autism is hereditary & they don't know what causes autism in the other 90%, I've never heard this before, is the hereditary kind different then or more 'classic autism'? was just wondering as I've never heard that mentioned before, does anyone know??
Tracy - Community Champion
Posted by
Sesley
on 3rd January 2010
at 20:44
I think I would laugh if i knew someone dilibrately weeded out male genes to avoid autism to ahve a girl with it. I suppose i do have a wicked sense of humour at times,maybe i have some ASD because i can be very matter of fact and not worry about other peoples feelings from what i say and do.
Posted by
Snowdrop
on 3rd January 2010
at 22:39
Thanks for the explanation Josie, it would be very interesting if 1 day we got a definate answer as to what does cause autism.
Tracy - Community Champion
Posted by
damo73
on 21st January 2010
at 00:22
Hello all,
I would argue that the causes of autism are organic (yet people may exhibit autistic like behaviours due to environmental factors - this is not likely to be permanent). I think that the scientists looking for a genetic cause alone though are thankfully going to be searching for a 'holy grail'. There is likely to be genetic predispositions - yet I would think the most likely trigger is hormonal and in the womb. There are theories (Baron-Cohen etc.) linking autistic behaviours to an extreme 'male brain' - more use of grey matter and less of white - compared to women on average. I even heard Matthew Wright say the other day on TV - 'aren't men a bit autistic'! This is likely the product of an excess level of testosterone (or something like that) - this could also help explain the overgrowth of certain brain regions (also usually larger in males) + why me and my son were born with head circumferences that were off the chart.
There is also evidence of a lack of synaptic pruning in early brain development, that usually happens as children lose neurons in the brain whilst making clearer 'schemas' of the world. If this doesn't happen - it may explain sensory overload + the preoccupation with detail over coherence.
Even if we do get to a 'cause', this only goes part of the way to finding ways to help autistic people, the biggest problems are social in origin (as my friend Claire says above). The idiosyncratic trajectory through development that autism entails, means that some will find many 'positives', whilst others may not be so lucky. Besides as Jim Sinclair points out - looking for a cure (in genetics) doesn't help the people dealing with the biological and social effects of living with autism in the here and now. Personally, I think the human race would be worse off without us!
Sorry for the academic style waffle - it is just how my idiosyncratic brain works! I didn't write more than a paragraph until I was 17, now I think I have developed Hyperlexia!
Damian
Posted by
Elena Goodrum
on 21st January 2010
at 10:33
Damian, we welcome lengthy, thoughtful posts like these! Keep em' coming!
For me, I'm guilty of lengthy and not so thoughtful posts that just go on and on and on.... ; )
I really enjoyed your insights. And your comments about looking for a cure not helping the "here and now" is very relevant - lately, I've been seeing loads of links, blogs and chatting online about finding a cure. It seems to be a very hot topic at the moment. I know that people are always discussing a cure but it seems right now more than ever (online anyway).
Posted by
Snowdrop
on 21st January 2010
at 13:30
Hi Damian
Thanks for your thoughts, like Elena said, keem them coming!
Tracy (Dylans mum from MAGIC).
Tracy - Community Champion
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Posted by
Josie Barnshaw
on 31st December 2009
at 21:19
This was posted on facebook by one of my friends who happens to be a teenager on the spectrum. He is, quite rightly, enraged by this article. I have to say I was rather horrified myself. There is absolutely no mention of any embryonic testing beforehand, the proposal is quite simply to remove all male embryo's to improve the chances of having a child free from autism. This seems to me to be a very heavyhanded approach and a step too far.
Here's the link:
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/29IdLm/www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2230764,00.html
Josie - Community Champion