So why exactly do we hate Autism Speaks?

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We are talking about a systematic effort to eliminate a portion of the population that is deemed undesirable. If that is not genocide, what is? Remember, this isn't a cure for autism, it's preventing autistics from ever being born. The message of Autism Speaks to me is "Your life is miserable and not worth living, and we wish to spend millions of dollars on research to ensure that no one like you is ever born again."

Also, if a cure were found, there is talk that it could be compulsory. Again, this comes from the head of ethics at the British Medical Association.


That's also a serious problem. Autism is not a discrete condition- there is no fundamental difference between autistics and non-autistics, no clear dividing line. The average mathematician or computer programmer is about halfway between "autistic" and "normal." If you try to screen out autistics, you're also just generally hitting anyone with quantitative abilities.

Firstly, this conversation is purely academic, as I doubt we will find a reliable test which discriminates severe LFA., from other forms of autism. If there were such a test, I do not see this as genocide more giving the parents a choice, yes, I dare-say many will choose to abort the pregnancy, but there still would be plenty who would not.

No industrialised country that I am aware of, would ever be able to force either abortion or cure onto people.

You are assuming a distinction would be made. HFA and AS individuals could (and likely would) be aborted as well.


I don't see how it can be described as anything else. You also have to consider that the public perception of autism is only the most negative aspects of the most severe cases. Cases like mine (socially awkward, physically clumsy, and intellectually bright) are probably the most common manifestation of autism, and not something most parents would see as a legitimate reason to abort.


BMA medical ethics head is interested in at least mandatory screening, possibly even mandatory pre-natal fetal testosterone treatment. I'll find the link for you since I've referenced it a couple times now. This was in the Guardian. Here it is. See the comments towards the bottom of the article.

As I have already explicitly stated, if the test only confirms ASD then there are some major philosophical issues. If the general population has the correct information regarding ASD and the parents come into this without the present hysteria then maybe testing for ASD could be beneficial. I am very torn as to whether or not I would support such a test, there are so many conflicting possibilities.

The same again for in utero treatment.

If the focus for all this was on severe LFA then I would fully support it, but it does seem unlikely that such a discriminatory test will be invented.

I suspect that this so called 'genocide' will happen anyway, it will occur pre pregnancy. Genetic testing will get to such a level that it will become part of the mating process

Right. Unfortunately the division line between LFA and HFA might be gestational, or even early life environmental. I might have the same genes as a LFA infant. I just got lucky in receiving the right conditions, i came to certain formative conclusions in early learning.

You can see what I mean when reading how some autists remember realizing what talking was.

Consider regular folks. Somewhere before the age of ten they show a shift in thinking to a more rational way of thinking. They stop pretending so much, they dont see imaginary things any more. But some people persist longer, and some never quite lose it. I'm not talking about schizophrenia either, but those individuals that see the world as a series of mystical connections.

You know what I mean right? Like the childhood saying "step on a crack, break your mothers back". There are adults that live their lives by omens and superstitions. But they are not really crazy. Its just, perhaps, that early in life they have assembled a harmonious world view rather than a logical one. And of course, that is logical to them.

It could all be about early stimulus/response/rewards applied to genetics.

Whoa, I just had a vision of an Orwellian type future, where if you have even a trace of AS in your genes, they kill ya'

.... That's what I get for pizza before bed, and sleep deprivation.

Seriously though? I apologize in advance, but [removed for bashing]
IMO, Autism Speaks is trying to get rid of us, and the thing that makes me laugh is that they think there's a "cure"

No such thing

As a general rule/warning, if anyone tries to "cure me of my disease" I will dislocate both of their shoulders. (That hurts BTW)

I Have AS, and I can speak for myself

P.S. I hate how people consider AS/Autism to be a disease. We're not sick, we're different, heck, we're BETTER
EDIT: By that I meant that we're better in some ways.

Last edited by lifegospel on 08 Jan 2010, 9:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

See you lost me right there, you want respect and acceptance from the majority of the population, then stop this ''NTs are so ....." bulls**t. Apart from that, your remark is extremely accurate, just very disingenuous. There are unintelligent members in every single subgroup of humanity.

If this is true lets look at your infant hood objectively, (well at lest as objectively as you can given that there is probably no recorded data) have you spoken to your parents, and older siblings, (if you are not the eldest) to find out if they noticed differences in your behaviour that they quickly made allowances for / worked to redirect.

I think aspergers is pretty much a hard wired genetic condition. Which leads me to think if it is not, if instead it is shown to be some how environmental, is removing the environmental cause still regarded as 'genocide'




Surely you mean literal

Last edited by DentArthurDent on 09 Jan 2010, 2:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

They are Nazis who want to wipe all of us out, and the president of this hate group said she wanted to drive off of a bridge with her autistic child in the car.. How the hell could you NOT hate them?

Not to mention the damn lies they throw around about autism...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgbr8lTsrCA[/youtube]

Not to mention the fact that the whole thing is a moneymaking scam anyway...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxM6MVxoUt8[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj4BG0DawW0[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fc_qtWxMes[/youtube]

Last edited by Asp-Z on 08 Jan 2010, 7:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

It already has become part of the mating process to an extent. It's called genetic counseling. At any rate, even ignoring the pre-natal screening. What about the fact that Autism Speaks doesn't seem to do a hell of a lot for autistic people that are already living? Most of their money goes into their research but not much of it goes into improving the lives of those that have to live with disability.

You're right, I was just a bit PO'd, but I shouldn't have been taking it out on NTs. The original comment has been edited.

I'm just tired of us getting treated like we don't know what we're doing. We all should have a voice, but it should be our own.

Autism has a stronger genetic component than anything else in the DSM-IV. (I think the last study I saw said about 90% of the variation can be attributed to genetic factors) But virtually no human trait is determined purely by genetics- even hair and eye color have been shown to be environmentally determined in some cases. With autism, the only credible environmental factor identified thus far is fetal testosterone levels.

This is EXACTLY WHY I fear the scientists out there on the side of people wanting to eradicate autism and other mental "differences" and make us all "normal." Basically drones.

Christ on a pogo stick, this makes me want to puke. I knew NONE of this. And...somehow we wound up with one of these this Christmas. Perhaps I should suggest to them that their next stuffed animal giveaway be a clubbed baby seal or something of that ilk. It would certainly reflect the "mission" of Autism Speaks far better.

"Autism Speaks" speaks, but do they listen?

maybe, but if they here something they don't like they do one of the following things:
1) speak louder.
2) ignore you.