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Strange, I've just had an email alert "there's been a reply to a discussion you are subscribed to" - its listed as a message this morning, whuch is how I found it, but must have been deleted by the Moderators, as the last posting is mine of 4th April.

What the alert refers to is two links to articles. The first article, from a respectable journal (Disease Models) says about autism, amongst other things:

"Autism is characterised by a combination of abnormalities in three areas: social relations, communication and motor activity. Additional associated features are common. For example, mental retardation is present in about 75% of the patients, and anxiety is frequent" (The source given is a psychology journal paper in 1999).

"Why animal models in autism.

Autism seems to be a disorder specific to humans. Human psychiatric diseases are assessed mainly by interviews, and language in its full expression is certainly a unique feature of humans, although several animal species might be able to express parts of its characteristics. However, the understanding of interaction of several genes or genes and environment cannot be gained by human studies. We need both cellular and animal models".

Autism is not a "psychiatric disease" nor are 75% of people diagnosed with it "mentally retarded".  As explained above it is a human condition. The fact that genetic causes justify other studies in rats, is neither here nor there.

Autism should not be exploited to justify largely unconnected studies on live rats in an animal laboratory.

The other article is even less relevant.

NAS Moderators, please ask campaigns to draw the attention of the Minister for the Disabled to these kinds of abuses. These animal research labs are trying to get funding by claiming they are looking for a cure to autism, when they patently have little understanding or even empathy for people with autism.

Respectable scientic journals should NOT be providing a medium for this. And we need legislation to stop the exploitation of disability to needlessly fund research labs looking for an income. It is immoral.

Strange, I've just had an email alert "there's been a reply to a discussion you are subscribed to" - its listed as a message this morning, whuch is how I found it, but must have been deleted by the Moderators, as the last posting is mine of 4th April.

What the alert refers to is two links to articles. The first article, from a respectable journal (Disease Models) says about autism, amongst other things:

"Autism is characterised by a combination of abnormalities in three areas: social relations, communication and motor activity. Additional associated features are common. For example, mental retardation is present in about 75% of the patients, and anxiety is frequent" (The source given is a psychology journal paper in 1999).

"Why animal models in autism.

Autism seems to be a disorder specific to humans. Human psychiatric diseases are assessed mainly by interviews, and language in its full expression is certainly a unique feature of humans, although several animal species might be able to express parts of its characteristics. However, the understanding of interaction of several genes or genes and environment cannot be gained by human studies. We need both cellular and animal models".

Autism is not a "psychiatric disease" nor are 75% of people diagnosed with it "mentally retarded".  As explained above it is a human condition. The fact that genetic causes justify other studies in rats, is neither here nor there.

Autism should not be exploited to justify largely unconnected studies on live rats in an animal laboratory.

The other article is even less relevant.

NAS Moderators, please ask campaigns to draw the attention of the Minister for the Disabled to these kinds of abuses. These animal research labs are trying to get funding by claiming they are looking for a cure to autism, when they patently have little understanding or even empathy for people with autism.

Respectable scientic journals should NOT be providing a medium for this. And we need legislation to stop the exploitation of disability to needlessly fund research labs looking for an income. It is immoral.