Science Friction.

Another day and another misguided Autism study (published by JAMA Pediatrics - oh look multicoloured jigsaw pieces!) has hit the headlines - and one I was about to discuss on Radio Scotland with Kaye Adams, check me* - this time focusing on training parents how to respond to babies showing early signs of autism and how it could reduce the number of three-year-olds meeting the criteria for diagnosis.

Excellent!

Because obviously it's scientifically possible to suck the Autism out of people before it's too late. 

Well heads up guys, we're born Autistic and will die Autistic, all you're doing is teaching them to mask earlier whilst re-enforcing the view to parents that somehow having a child with an Autism diagnosis is a bad thing.

I mean, it might be me being a wee bit thick but I'm struggling to see how an Autistic child no longer meets the criteria for having a diagnosis (whilst being Autistic) can in any way be seen as being a success?

All this means is that now they can be deprived of what little funding and support is available.

Add to that it appears to be sneakily going back to the whole 60s style “refrigerator mum” trope that liked to blame women with "attachment issues” for their child's Autism.

Because reasons.

 

An Autistic person having their 'condition' sucked out of them yesterday.

 

Like the whole Spectrum10K debacle t'other week it's terrifying to think that none of these researchers have even thought of reading the Autistic room before even starting their research as I can honestly say we're pretty much all raging by this point.

On a serious note (sorry) if any researchers are reading this can you answer me one thing?

Why on earth would you think that suppressing someone's natural state of being be a good thing? 

It appears to me that after years of controlling the narrative (and the funds) around Autism, research folk like Simon Baron Cohen and Prof Jonathan Green have realised that they're on their way out as more and more actually Autistic researchers and academics step in and show them how wrong they've been.

The conversation needs to change from trying to 'fix' Autistic people to accepting and accommodating us.

And to do that you're going to have to shut up and listen.

Pity that they aren't giving up without a last cash-fueled fight.

 

*Or would have if they hadn't played I Want It That Way by The Backstreet Boys, which to be fair is a good song tho' it's no Everybody.