"A spectrum of disputes"
Visiting Canadian lecturer discusses controversial topics surrounding autism
Tiffany Hendrix
Issue date: 5/5/09 Section: Culture
Orisini explained that there is an autistic culture, just as there is a deaf culture, racial cultures and many others. He ventured, that trying to cure someone with autism is like trying to give someone who is deaf Cochlear implants (a surgery that can help someone who is severely, or even completely, deaf gain at least some hearing abilities).
To "cure" someone who is deaf would be changing a large portion of who they are, and would potentially be changing their life and the culture they belong to. He then said it is similar to trying to "cure" someone with autism; many people in the audience were nodding, while others had perplexed looks on their faces. The impact of his statement was not obvious until later-- if society decides autistic people do have a culture, and that being autistic is a part of who they are, then does that mean that it should not be cured?
One of the largest debates, regarding the disability, is whether or not autism should be cured. Should it be called an "epidemic", which Orisini said gives the idea that, "you can catch autism, which is just overdramatic." Should scientists even be studying what causes it, or how to prevent it? Do behaviors that have been deemed autistic actually need to be unlearned (such as repeated words or movements or avoiding eye contact)?
Orisini explained one of many worries surrounding the study of autism-- will the research lead to a "new eugenics"? With genetic screening now available, parents have the opportunity to find out if their fetus has Down Syndrome or not-- from there, some parents choose to abort their fetus based on knowing the child would have a disability. Many worry that this could happen with autism; with an estimated 1 in 166 to 1 in 500 children having autism in America alone, what could genetic screening for autism do?
Another hot topic was the issue of groups like Autism Speaks, a group that has been said to raise funds and awareness for autism. On the other hand, the movie that they produced, "Autism Every Day," was highly ridiculed for its negative depiction of autism. It showed children having tantrums and very few positive aspects of living with an autistic person. The scene that was most criticized shows a woman saying, "I had sat in the car for about 15 minutes and actually contemplated putting Jody in the car and driving off of the George Washington bridge." As the scene was shown, some audience members audibly gasped.
To "cure" someone who is deaf would be changing a large portion of who they are, and would potentially be changing their life and the culture they belong to. He then said it is similar to trying to "cure" someone with autism; many people in the audience were nodding, while others had perplexed looks on their faces. The impact of his statement was not obvious until later-- if society decides autistic people do have a culture, and that being autistic is a part of who they are, then does that mean that it should not be cured?
One of the largest debates, regarding the disability, is whether or not autism should be cured. Should it be called an "epidemic", which Orisini said gives the idea that, "you can catch autism, which is just overdramatic." Should scientists even be studying what causes it, or how to prevent it? Do behaviors that have been deemed autistic actually need to be unlearned (such as repeated words or movements or avoiding eye contact)?
Orisini explained one of many worries surrounding the study of autism-- will the research lead to a "new eugenics"? With genetic screening now available, parents have the opportunity to find out if their fetus has Down Syndrome or not-- from there, some parents choose to abort their fetus based on knowing the child would have a disability. Many worry that this could happen with autism; with an estimated 1 in 166 to 1 in 500 children having autism in America alone, what could genetic screening for autism do?
Another hot topic was the issue of groups like Autism Speaks, a group that has been said to raise funds and awareness for autism. On the other hand, the movie that they produced, "Autism Every Day," was highly ridiculed for its negative depiction of autism. It showed children having tantrums and very few positive aspects of living with an autistic person. The scene that was most criticized shows a woman saying, "I had sat in the car for about 15 minutes and actually contemplated putting Jody in the car and driving off of the George Washington bridge." As the scene was shown, some audience members audibly gasped.
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