tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28040139.post2498549330692617146..comments2023-07-25T09:25:34.293+01:00Comments on The Voyage: Prenatal tests and curing autism in The GuardianSharon McDaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13550156204691696968noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28040139.post-82478845597659449632009-01-16T00:31:00.000+00:002009-01-16T00:31:00.000+00:00No Borat jokes. Promise.No Borat jokes. Promise.Bock the Robberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06670303189589399025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28040139.post-86395140318394895932009-01-15T07:27:00.000+00:002009-01-15T07:27:00.000+00:00@Alyric, the prenatal test is not imminent unless ...@Alyric, the prenatal test is not imminent unless it's acceptable to those who make such decisions, that to screen out possibly autistic embryos/fetuses, they'll be willing to lose many non-autistic ones too.<BR/><BR/>@Barbara, you're welcome.Sharon McDaidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550156204691696968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28040139.post-27175687780734907522009-01-14T19:19:00.000+00:002009-01-14T19:19:00.000+00:00My hearty agreement and thanks for voicing the ser...My hearty agreement and thanks for voicing the serious, and scary, implications of efforts to control people and populations. Speaking of control, I've often wondered about the OCD tendencies of people who have tried to homogenize human groups. <BR/>BarbaraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28040139.post-86056763477805360152009-01-14T14:18:00.000+00:002009-01-14T14:18:00.000+00:00SharonThanks for wading through the muck. Much ap...Sharon<BR/><BR/>Thanks for wading through the muck. Much appreciated. I take great comfort in the fact that autism genes are so universally spread among the normal population that a prenatal test is so much wishful thinking, or more likely some aberrant genetics that people like to call autism -similar to Hannah Poling. When a mitochondrial encephalopathy can be called autism then anything can and is. Not that I don't feel for the targetteed genetic aberrants, but autism I think will remain safe.Alyrichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13293946886969452901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28040139.post-63161464846270034782009-01-13T15:22:00.000+00:002009-01-13T15:22:00.000+00:00@Jean, it would be wonderful is there was an easy ...@Jean, it would be wonderful is there was an easy and accurate way to diagnose autism. It seems unlikely right now, but who knows. We definitely need a faster process of diagnosis.<BR/><BR/>I do think selective abortion is wrong as I explained in great detail <A HREF="http://thefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com/2008/12/prenatal-testing-and-disability.html" REL="nofollow">here</A>. I don't want to oppose my view on all of society but would welcome more reasonable discussion on prenatal testing among our decision makers. The ignorance of autism never fails to amaze me. I should be used to it by now but the discourse plumbs new depths regularly. <BR/><BR/>@Heike, the idea of mandatory tests is very scary. We could do with learning from history. Human diversity is a good thing.<BR/><BR/>@Phil, thanks for those great links. The position statement is particularly relevant and well argued.<BR/><BR/>@bullet, I think everyone can only really empathise when they've experienced the same as the other person, and even then circumstances are different. At best, we can only imagine how they feel. Being sympathetic and kind to others is perfectly good.Sharon McDaidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550156204691696968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28040139.post-57871191397059271182009-01-13T08:58:00.000+00:002009-01-13T08:58:00.000+00:00Empathy depends o nthe individual I suppose. I do ...Empathy depends o nthe individual I suppose. I do not have good empathy but I do have good sympathy, if someone says they're upset I'm not going to utter anything harsh to them, it's just I probably won't understand what they're going through.<BR/> As for the article and the research, yes, there are serious assumptions and misgivings going on in it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28040139.post-85002459769251819442009-01-13T05:36:00.000+00:002009-01-13T05:36:00.000+00:00Judy Badner, a longtime member of Autism Network I...Judy Badner, a longtime member of <A HREF="http://www.ani.ac" REL="nofollow">Autism Network International</A>, and for several years its science advisor, is a professor of psychiatry at my alma mater, the University of Chicago. She studies the genetic underpinnings of psychiatric conditions and disorders.<BR/><BR/>She has a personal background that involves a bit of the drama and controversy over discovery of genetic markers for various conditions, and their subsequent use and abuse: she has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism.<BR/><BR/>In the mid-1990s, a single-gene marker for achondroplasia was discovered. This prompted the national self-advocacy organization of people with achondroplasia and other forms of dwarfism, the Little People of America, to issue a well-reasoned position statement on the use and abuse of genetic research and testing.<BR/><BR/>Several years ago, Judy adapted the LPA’s position statement for research into the genetics of autism, and applications of that research. It is equally well-reasoned.<BR/><BR/>It can be found <A HREF="http://psy-pc120.bsd.uchicago.edu/~jbadner/autgen.htm" REL="nofollow">here</A>.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15510151176700173298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28040139.post-8751698974203794182009-01-13T02:40:00.000+00:002009-01-13T02:40:00.000+00:00Yeah, this is a tricky one. I refused all test wit...Yeah, this is a tricky one. I refused all test with my kids so i would not be put in a situation where i was coerded into a termination. I would not be surprised if one day testing is mandatory like vaccination. And no doubt will we one day have tests(accurately or not!) for CP and autism and whathaveyou. I shudder to think what will happen then. The German in me wants to scream at this modern eugenetics version we are facing. So my personal response was not to partake in the testing rigmarole. Some called me irresponsible for doing that (especially as it turned out my kids had disabilities - but then i can gloatingly point out that no current test would have detected them!). I always worry with any "mandatory" health issues... Who sets the rules of what you have to do, and why. And based on what knowledge....Heike Fabighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06856001856348587649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28040139.post-89374342735175390162009-01-12T19:04:00.000+00:002009-01-12T19:04:00.000+00:00One one hand, in retrospect, it would be great to ...One one hand, in retrospect, it would be great to have a definitive diagnosis for our children, as many of us have spent months, and maybe years, wondering if our child had autism or not. That's precious time wasted that we could have spent educating our kids properly, instead of trying to get them assessed.<BR/>Eugenics is a different matter. Of course it is abhorrant that kids could be aborted because they have autism, but as the article pointed out, this already happens with kids with Downs, and other "defects". That's ultimately an individual choice to be made by the parent, and really we have no right to judge what each individual feels is the right thing to do.<BR/>However, the utter ignorance of autism demonstrated is disturbing, but frankly (and sadly)is not that surprising. Most people who have seen Rainman think they know all they need to know.<BR/>It sounds as if a definitive test is a long way off anyway. Long may it stay that way.Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04090661112868706267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28040139.post-9228210350930327482009-01-12T16:14:00.000+00:002009-01-12T16:14:00.000+00:00Thanks Socrates.I tried to keep it short but it ju...Thanks Socrates.I tried to keep it short but it just kept growing! Your own post on this is good too. Did you read <A HREF="http://autisticcats.blogspot.com/2009/01/more-barron-cohen-shenanigans.html" REL="nofollow">this one</A>, also good.Sharon McDaidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550156204691696968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28040139.post-54825076269313922602009-01-12T15:01:00.000+00:002009-01-12T15:01:00.000+00:00Superb post, linking to it on the New REpublic.Superb post, linking to it on the New REpublic.Socrateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12525104555859213125noreply@blogger.com