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Good news- Spectrum 10k study has been postponed

Ausomely Autistic

I know there have been some concerns about Spectrum 10k shared on this forum. There is a now a positive outcome thanks the passion of autistic advocates, parents and the Stop Spectrum 10k petition. The Spectrum 10k study has been postponed and will include discussion with autistic people. This shows the strength of the autistic community and the value of innate autistic traits such as passion, hyper focus and determination.

Link to victory message on the petition:

https://www.change.org/p/university-of-cambridge-stop-spectrum-10k/u/29588536

Parents

  • I only just learned about the study from this post, but... and I know this will be controversial, but isn't greater understanding of autism a good thing for us? I understand the fears about eugenics, but so far as I know there isn't any technology sophisticated enough to choose what genes to "turn off" before birth. The closest I'm aware of is something called CRISPR, but from documentaries I've seen on the subject it cannot be used to make any kind of genetic selections about something like autism, or any form of learning disability or personality trait.

    I'm happy to be corrected by anyone more educated than me on this, but as someone with a lot of issues associated with my diagnosis of autism spectrum I only feel disappointed. 

  • in reply to Roguelife

    They won't turn off the genes before birth, they'll just terminate pregnancies that would result in autistic children, just like they do with tests for other disabilities.

  • in reply to NAS75344

    Indeed Down’s syndrome is an excellent example of this. Very easy to screen for because the anomaly involves an entire chromosome not just a few small localised mutations.

    Down’s syndrome children are widely aborted so unless the government was willing to make aborting a foetus because it is autistic a crime there is always going to be anxiety about genetic analysis of autism. 

    in fairness they very nearly did make sex selective abortion illegal so it’s not out of the question.

Reply
  • in reply to NAS75344

    Indeed Down’s syndrome is an excellent example of this. Very easy to screen for because the anomaly involves an entire chromosome not just a few small localised mutations.

    Down’s syndrome children are widely aborted so unless the government was willing to make aborting a foetus because it is autistic a crime there is always going to be anxiety about genetic analysis of autism. 

    in fairness they very nearly did make sex selective abortion illegal so it’s not out of the question.

Children
  • in reply to Peter

    That’s true I see that, there was a failed attempt to change the law on this regarding Down’s syndrome I think? 

    It’s an extremely complex issue. I mean we support women on abortion rights when those decisions are made for other reasons, when they they are not in a position to be a mother, and we wouldn’t necessarily ask questions about why. If I remember rightly in the case of Down’s syndrome the stage of pregnancy at which an abortion can be carried out is later but I can understand, as someone who has worked to support adults with Down’s syndrome and severe autism, and with all respect and compassion towards vulnerable adults, I can understand why women and families may not feel they can be the right parents to a child for whom the risk of severe autism is higher, just as when the risk of other factors effecting parenthood is higher - employment issues, poverty, age, any number of difficulties we would be empathetic towards women and families about in light of the right to have an abortion.

    I say this not to be controversial but because I don’t think I can ever condone actions taken because of fear of knowledge. And to learn from people with differing opinions if I’m making a mistake. But even as an autistic person myself I have some faith that in a sufficiently educated society we will not experience an eradication of autistic babies when we know people on the spectrum bring such needed contributions to society.