The search for a cure for autism, the history behind it, and where it could lead
When I first heard that Tylenol, aka acetaminophen, was being blamed for causing autism, I initially laughed and felt mildly relieved. This is not a new theory and has been studied for more than a decade. The scientific process takes a long time, and so far, studies have shown no causal link between acetaminophen and autism. What this announcement really told me is that the men who are in charge of making medical decisions for our nation have very little interest in actual science or the scientific process. They want to be credited with “discovering” the cause of autism and are willing to promote incomplete science to do so. This recklessness will cause harm, just like it did when Trump told people to drink bleach to cure covid. So, while my initial response was mild relief, my anxiety about the targeting of autism has grown.
What most concerns me is the language these men are using about autism. They call autism a “horror show.” They state that it “destroys families.” That most cases are “severe.” The list of these negative statements goes on. They see autism as a tragedy and autistic people as worthless dregs on our capitalistic society. They want to “cure” us. They want to eradicate us. My fear is that when they decide to look at what actual science says, that the likely cause of autism is genetics, what are we left with? My fear is that we are left with eugenics.
While this may seem like catastrophic thinking, let’s look at a few things. First eugenics in the form of forced sterilization of disabled people is 100% legal in 31 states and the District of Columbia. In another 16 states plus Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands, the laws on forced sterilization are unclear. There are only two states in America, Alaska and North Carolina, where this practice is fully illegal. There is a history of this practice being widespread in our country. In fact, in the early 20th century, it was standard practice. In the case Buck v Bell (1927), the Supreme Court found that forced sterilization was perfectly legal. This case has been challenged over the last century, but never fully overturned. You may be asking yourself, “Sure, but does this actually happen?” Yes, it does. I have met at least two disabled adults in their 30s who were sterilized before age 18. When I researched this more fully, I found a study out of Australia that gave medical doctors confidential surveys about their attitudes towards forced sterilization and a majority of them felt this practice was ethical.
And history shows that this doesn’t stop with forced sterilization. In Nazi Germany, they often skipped sterilization and just sent disabled people to the gas chambers. The diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome came from Hans Asperger, who was attempting to save the lives of autistic boys, whom he referred to as his “little professors” as he advocated for their importance to the Third Reich. He did not extend this protection to the autistic girls that he had identified, who were sent to the death camps. About 10 years ago, Iceland made an announcement that they had “eradicated” Down syndrome. When the world looked more closely, they found that they hadn’t cured Down syndrome, they were terminating close to 100% of pregnancies where trisomy 21 was identified in prenatal screenings. If they can identify autism in the womb, are we next?
So no, I don’t feel this is catastrophic thinking and we need to act NOW before we get to another worst-case scenario. Whether you are autistic or not, you can speak up for autistic people. We are all valuable, whether we are speaking or nonspeaking, whether we work or cannot work, whether we have high or low support needs. We are valuable because we are autistic and we have unique brains that see the world in unique ways. We are valuable because we are human beings. We don’t need to be cured or eradicated. We need more understanding, more accommodations, and more support. Disabled people of all categories need this. We matter and we make the world a better place. We can’t do that if we don’t exist.
https://nwlc.org/.../forced-sterilization-of-disabled.../
https://www.tandfonline.com/.../10.3109/13668250.2013.877125
