Autism: The Anti-Cure Movement

Though the reason why is hotly debated, the fact itself is rarely refuted: autism is being diagnosed in more people than ever before. Presently the number stands at approximately 1 in 166 individuals. Last year the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) began releasing a flyer to pediatricians that urges the doctors to screen for autism due to the increased prevalence in autism.

With any condition, whether it is a mental health or medical disorder, researchers and health care practitioners will want to investigate and then act as seems best for the public interest. Accordingly, investigations into why and how autism affects individuals, as well as how to treat the symptoms or cure the condition, are being researched. Alternative therapy treatments are also being implemented to treat the symptoms of autism, which can include language deficiencies, social skill impairments, sensory integration dysfunctions, mental retardation, and other impairments. Some therapies have been proven to be quackery, such as Holding Therapy, while many other therapies, such as ABA have been shown to ameliorate the symptoms of autism. The industry for respite, therapy, and medical intervention for autists is a growing and lucrative business.

In the midst of parents and caregivers frantically searching for answers and help, amongst the professionals offering treatment and cures, there are the autistic individuals. What do they think of the booming psychological and psychiatric business that has been created around "fixing" their condition?

There is an anti-cure movement, primarily existent on the web, of autists who do not want to be "cured". To them, a cure is paramount to losing their personalities. If you don't like someone's personality and character you generally don't try to cure them of it. Many parents are at odds with the resentment some autists have expressed over the therapies, medication, and education methods they choose to use for their autistic children.

There is also concern among the anti-cure movement that a prenatal test for autism would result in the abortion of many fetuses who might develop autism. Although I am a parent of twins with autism, I can see where the autists are coming from on this issue. It is pretty insulting to insinuate that life as an autist is better eliminated before it is even began. However, also speaking as a parent of autistic children, I can say that I don't think all parents would abort a pregnancy that may result in an autistic child. The parents may use the knowledge to prepare for the special circumstances an autistic child would encounter.

Several phrases seem to really upset autists who are against curing autism. One of these is "indistinguishable from their peers". A goal of many ABA programs is to get the autist child to be indistinguishable from his or her neuro-typical peers. Many times this goal is unlikely to be achieved. In many other instances it doesn't seem to benefit the child in any way other than trying to make him less of a target for stares or insults from ignorant neuro-typical folks.

Other phrases or terms that seem to be particularly insulting and inflammatory are calling autism an epidemic, a monster, comparing it to physically life threatening diseases such as a plague, and insisting that there is a normal child hiding underneath the autism. The reality of how insulting these terms are never occurred to me until I started researching the anti-cure movement.
I used to wear a shirt that said, "Autism: The Silent Epidemic". I quit wearing it because I felt that it was a bit harsh and inaccurate. I do still believe that we need to understand why autism is affecting more and more people. I personally believe that there are biological triggers that cause autism. Some aspects of autism, such as erratic sleep patterns, yeast overgrowth, and limited diet can cause physical discomforts and lead to other health issues. I think that these aspects of autism can and should be treated. I also don't think that treating these symptoms of autism would be adversely altering the personalities or talents of autists.

While I can say that my ambitions for having my daughters do ABA is to make them as self-sufficient and safe as possible, I don't know that autists are any happier with that reasoning than the "indistinguishable" logic. I do know that I love my daughters very much and that I love their personalities, including some of the more idiosyncratic behaviors, such as hand flapping or dancing around on tiptoes. I would never support a program whose only goal was to make them stop these behaviors completely. There are too many important life and safety skills, such as street crossing safety and learning to tie your shoes, to waste time trying to alter a benign habit that make my daughters happy.

I think the time has come to listen to the autistic community's wishes. I don't think that the anti-cure movement is speaking for all autists, but I do believe that the group has valid points and concerns that doctors, therapists, educators, and families should take into consideration.