Some links for your Monday afternoon:
I have always said that once autism can be detected in the womb like Downs, we’ll see a huge drop in children like my sons. One day you’ll be able to test to see if your child could have a childhood cancer or diabetes and people will make choices about them too. I just shudder about all those parents who don’t choose life for the unborn but then end up with a disabled child after birth. The law won’t give them a choice in that area thankfully.
Autism will be “cured” in the future and everyone will pat themselves on the back for being sensitive toward the disabled people who managed to survive. Yeah for freedom! Still nothing we can do about it.
- hollyhobby on
This is for: One mom’s Twitter posting on potential child abuse goes too far
I totally agree that someone called the authorities. You never know how serious that person was, and rather be safe then sorry !! Rather call someone so they can review it then not and an innocent child dies. I would in such a situation definitely appreciate that someone is concerned enough to get me help, and that people still care enough about others rather then be mad !!!
As for the autism article, I think it would be good to detect. Parents can then research information and prepare for the birth of such a special child, join the support groups and get tips from parents of older children. And then there are things which can be corrected even on unborn children !! (even if autism and down syndrome are not one of those)
- Molly on
Shame on you for implying that women who choose to have an abortion (for any reason, not necessarily because they “found something”) are somehow getting what they had coming by eventually having a child with disabilities. We have the right to an abortion and the right to be free from judgement because of that. That is like saying that people who made fun of kids with down syndrome in high school end of having a kid with down syndrome. If there is such a thing as Karma only a wicked human or “god” would use it in that manner.
- Holly on
“There is a test for Down’s syndrome and that is legal and parents exercise their right to choose termination, but autism is often linked with talent. It is a different kind of condition,”
I for one know several VERY talented individuals with Downs Syndrome. It is only so different because on the outside an autistic child looks comletely normal.
A child with Down Syndrome in today’s society is no less a human being than any other child.
Have we not, Simon Baron-Cohen, learned this yet?
- Rachel on
irregardless of what may or may not constitute “talent” or make someone “just as human as anyone else” people still will make this decision because having a child with autism or downs syndrome is more difficult for the child AND the parents than having a “normally developed” child. and by normal I mean NOT retarded. retarded being used here as it is intended to be, in it’s correct literary meaning. “occuring or developing later than desired or expected.”people who make the decision to abort based on this should be no more villified than someone who decides to abort based on the possibility of something like, say, an anencephelactic baby.
- Holly on
WOW! I am at a loss for words on the In utero Autism tesing. First there is a lot more learning needed. Science is a long learning process and breakdowns before we get anything correct. They are right in that more people will exercise their right to choose. While I know whats in my heart, mind and family circumstances I will not and cannot jugde those who have to make that decision. Fortunatly I believe that we all lean from people, diseases, Mothernature ect. If you know that financially you will not be able to help the child out or emotionally you cant help the child, Its your right. But like the Professer said he is afraid that we could eliminate all people with autism, Some wich are on the high spectrum of Math and music and some that are on the low end. It boils down to not enough known science yet and your ultimately your decision.
- mary on
Holly, I dont think parents with special needs children would use the word retarted. What you don’t realize (even though people do have the right to decide either way) is that children with autism or down syndrome, are amazing. They are not necessarily harder to raise, just different. Any parent with such a child will tell you that their child is amazing and a blessing, and they wouldnt want to have it any other way. Your posts show that you don’t have enough information or education in this field, but that’s why they are doign research. THe problem when someone aborts a life is not the right to the decision, but the lack of information the parents in such situation base their decisions. And that has to change.
Please read this article about an experience of one of these parents: http://www.our-kids.org/Archives/Holland.html
It will show you that these children are not necessarily a stone on the parent’s leg. They are just different and valuable as any other child.
- Molly on
I am tired of people justifying the abortion of fetuses based on the rational that they are saving their baby from an unfair or unusually difficult life. If I could look into the future and see that my child would someday be brutally raped and murdered, would I choose to “save” her from that fate? Give me a break. People’s expectations regarding what life should be like are absolutely ridiculous and close-minded.
- Vanessa on
I think it more ridiculous and close-minded to judge others based on decisions they make in THEIR lives based on what is right for THEM. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to these things. I believe the divorce rate for parents of autistic children is around 80%(I don’t know what it is for parents of children with other disabilities), and the parents have higher rates of depression, among other things. You can’t force people to take on something they don’t feel they can.
- Lilly on
And what about they make a mistake in the test and parents will choose, based on this false positive, to terminate the life of a perfectly healthy baby? Have you thought of that?
- Molly on
well, if they are fertile than they will have many other opportunities for having healthy, normal children. not everyone is christian/catholic/against abortion/believes that “life begins at conception”. sorry, but I will take any opportunity that I can to have the most perfect child. and I am VERY educated. I am an RN who is working on becoming a Nurse Practitioner and my husband is an IVY league educated MBA.
- Holly on
holly, anencephalism is terminal, autism & down (not downs) syndrome are not. anencephalic children do not live long. after some long thought, i came to the conclusion awhile back that i would be honored to receive a child with down syndrome or autism. i would not personally choose an abortion for any reason, but i defend a woman’s right to have one safely & legally.
good luck on your quest for the “perfect child”, whatever that means. if your child is born blind or deaf, will you kill them too?
on, an unrelated note, “irregardless” is not a word.
- I-dra on
Who says a child with autism isn’t perfect?
- JK on
And how on earth could these tests differentiate between levels of autism??? My brother and HUSBAND both have Aspergers, the mildest fully diagnosable form for autism. I know it was a struggle for my parents to get my brother treatment growing up…stressful for the whole family. I’ve had to learn to be a little more literal with my husband to aid in our communication. However, both my brother and husband have jobs and activities they love and have been successful in lots of areas. My husband and I know there is an 8-10% chance that our baby will have some form of autism (according to the genetic counselor). I’m a little nervous about this, but we’ve worked to become informed just in case, and my husband has an idea of what to expect, since he lives with it. I just wanted to show that a diagnosis of autism can mean a lot of different things…it’s a spectrum disorder, which means that people can be hardly affected or very affected or anywhere in between. However, I can understand where someone might choose an abortion if they don’t feel they can handle the illness their child would have, and I can’t judge them for that.
Holly, best of luck on having your most perfect child. I hope whenever you are blessed with a baby you realize they are all perfect 
My mother appeared to have 3 healthy children on the ultrasound. As we grew up, I was found to have a rare, potentially life threatening disorder, my brother was diagnosed with Aspergers, and my sister developed diabetes. I think she would agree though, that all three of us were the most perfect children for her
- MZ on
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