Autism Article(s) on Good Morning American

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Thought this would be worth sharing...

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Health/story? ... 015&page=1

abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=3008553&page=1

Thanks for this.

It is nice to see some of them accepting the genetic reality of autism, but look at the language - these genes are 'to blame' & finding them is like searching for 'a few innocent looking criminals in a crowd' - 'probable culprits', etc. And, as always, any genetic difference is an 'abnormality'.

Why is it that whenever genetic scientists discover another genetic differences in humans, they always see it as something negative. Why not just wonder why the difference is there. If they were studying some bird or fish or bacteria, that's what they would do.

And of course they end with the thought that we might one day have drugs to 'prevent, fight and...even reverse autism.'

I'm quite happy being who I am - I don't want to be reversed.

AC

Autism maybe caused by the absence of several recently evolved genes.

For example: Genetic research has shown the Microcephalin and ASPM genes that code for the brain evolved recently in humans, and these genes are more common in societies where civilisation has its deepest roots. Simply, autism could be due to the absence of these recently evolved genes that aid social/political skills and the ability to live in large communal groups.

Human brains enjoy ongoing evolution

If researchers use negative language to describe autism, it will slow and may even halt their effort to find its cause, as their bias will prevent them from looking in the right places.

Unfortunately the research into Microcephalin and ASPM genes has now stopped because it could be seen as racist.