Welcome to AFF, we have autism forums and a chatroom. Please note, if you do not wish to receive cookies from this webserver please do not connect to it. If you connect to this webserver with the intent to file a complaint regarding cookie usage then you are hereby notified that your implied consent to connect is withdrawn. This notice is of no concern to most of you. Please do not post research surveys without permission either. more details here
Current time: 05-24-2013, 08:15 AM
Hello There, Guest! (Login — Register)
CAITLIN O'NEILL is a happy, gurgling baby, an adored third child to her parents and the centre of her brother Gabriel's world.
She is also one of the most closely monitored infants in Australia, as researchers attempt to define a screening test that could point, even before birth, to a likelihood of autism.
Its developer says such a test would raise ethical challenges if it prompted parents to terminate possibly affected foetuses.
But for Caitlin's mother, Julia, it represents a chance to give children born with the condition, which affects Gabriel, 6, a head start.
''If they could [diagnose autism prenatally], I would want to know that,'' said Mrs O'Neill, of Perth. ''I'd want to be prepared to help her as soon as she's in the world.''
Throughout her pregnancy, Mrs O'Neill undertook blood tests for hormone and chemical levels and had three scans with an ultrasound machine adapted to record structures within Caitlin's developing brain. Umbilical cord blood drawn at birth may also yield clues to how the condition arises.
Mrs O'Neill said the intensive early intervention therapies Gabriel began after his diagnosis, at age three, ''delivered such tremendous results'' but ideally would have begun even earlier.
Andrew Whitehouse, who heads the autism and related disorders program at the Telethon Institute of Child Health Research in Perth, said there would probably never be a cast-iron diagnostic test during pregnancy for autism like those available for Down syndrome. Instead, a test would only point to an elevated risk of autism, but some people might still use it to decide whether to continue a pregnancy.
''These are factors we need to start discussing out in the open,'' said Professor Whitehouse, who will present the continuing project at an Autism Queensland symposium at Bond University on Thursday. ''It's a broader debate that we'd like to see happen.''
There was ''a critical period between eight and 24 weeks of pregnancy when we think brain development goes off course'', he said.
The world-first foetal brain measurements - in 100 pregnancies where there was an older autistic child and 100 controls where siblings developed normally - could be used to track retrospectively any link between growth patterns and a later autism diagnosis.
Autism predominantly affects boys, and higher testosterone levels in some pregnancies could be ''shaping the brain to grow in a very masculine way'', Professor Whitehouse said. The study would also monitor pesticide and food packaging chemicals that could alter hormone function.
Professor Whitehouse said he had ''started the trial with some hesitancy. There's a huge amount of emotion when people are having another child after a child with autism.'' But participants had responded positively.
Caitlin is too young for formal assessment but ''my gut tells me she's not autistic'', said Mrs O'Neill, whose four-year-old daughter, Alice, does not have the condition.
''We're not anti-autism,'' she said. ''Gabriel's such a sweet soul. He takes such joy in what he loves and he doesn't filter it.''
RE: Prenatal Autism Test May Deliver Ethical Questions
Ah. There's another one that takes the idea of mutated sperm in older fathers and turns it on it's head, another with the autistic child as the eldest. And this is something I think we've been afraid of for some time, I think Amy first posted the idea of prenatal testing with concurrent abortion several years ago.
I just hope our genes can remain hidden for a long time to come. Or it will be Genocide.
Alison
To be ruled by tradition just means that you're letting yourself be outvoted by the dead.
-----------
Check out my DeviantArt gallery for my stories, art and photography: http://fayzbub.deviantart.com/
I'd love to see you there!
RE: Prenatal Autism Test May Deliver Ethical Questions
Alison Wrote:
Ah. There's another one that takes the idea of mutated sperm in older fathers and turns it on it's head, another with the autistic child as the eldest. And this is something I think we've been afraid of for some time, I think Amy first posted the idea of prenatal testing with concurrent abortion several years ago.
I just hope our genes can remain hidden for a long time to come. Or it will be Genocide.
Alison
Genocide would be very difficult to carry out worldwide.
RE: Prenatal Autism Test May Deliver Ethical Questions
sg1008 Wrote:
Genocide would be very difficult to carry out worldwide.
I have to disagree with you there, I'm afraid. Since the prenatal test for Down's Syndrome was developed, rates have plummeted in the developed world to almost no Down's Syndrome people being born, they are nearly all aborted. And in the undeveloped countries, infanticide is quite common. That's why I hope our genes will remain hidden for longer, until we can build up our numbers more.
Alison
To be ruled by tradition just means that you're letting yourself be outvoted by the dead.
-----------
Check out my DeviantArt gallery for my stories, art and photography: http://fayzbub.deviantart.com/
I'd love to see you there!
RE: Prenatal Autism Test May Deliver Ethical Questions
This from wiki:
A 2002 literature review of elective abortion rates found that 91–93% of pregnancies in the United Kingdom and Europe with a diagnosis of Down syndrome were terminated.[73] Data from the National Down Syndrome Cytogenetic Register in the United Kingdom indicates that from 1989 to 2006 the proportion of women choosing to terminate a pregnancy following prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome has remained constant at around 92%.[74][75]
In the United States a number of studies have examined the abortion rate of fetuses with Down syndrome. Three studies estimated the termination rates at 95%, 98%, and 87% respectively.
If we had similar rates of abortion of Autistics, our numbers would plummet to hardly anything. It is bad enough that we have such a small population now, but at least we can now find each other and communicate. But if a genetic test can pick us out, how many women would opt to have us when the majority of the NT population think we're "tragedies"? Very few, is my guess. We'd go back to being a few isolated individuals amongst the great herds of NTs, being treated as if we're freaks of nature. I was born in the 1960's. I remember how bad it was.
Alison
To be ruled by tradition just means that you're letting yourself be outvoted by the dead.
-----------
Check out my DeviantArt gallery for my stories, art and photography: http://fayzbub.deviantart.com/
I'd love to see you there!
This post was last modified: 08-28-2012 10:40 PM by Alison.
RE: Prenatal Autism Test May Deliver Ethical Questions
Alison Wrote:
This from wiki:
A 2002 literature review of elective abortion rates found that 91–93% of pregnancies in the United Kingdom and Europe with a diagnosis of Down syndrome were terminated.[73] Data from the National Down Syndrome Cytogenetic Register in the United Kingdom indicates that from 1989 to 2006 the proportion of women choosing to terminate a pregnancy following prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome has remained constant at around 92%.[74][75]
In the United States a number of studies have examined the abortion rate of fetuses with Down syndrome. Three studies estimated the termination rates at 95%, 98%, and 87% respectively.
If we had similar rates of abortion of Autistics, our numbers would plummet to hardly anything. It is bad enough that we have such a small population now, but at least we can now find each other and communicate. But if a genetic test can pick us out, how many women would opt to have us when the majority of the NT population think we're "tragedies"? Very few, is my guess. We'd go back to being a few isolated individuals amongst the great herds of NTs, being treated as if we're freaks of nature. I was born in the 1960's. I remember how bad it was.
Alison
I remember being elementary school age getting disciplined all the time for not acting "normal" when supposedly I was healthy, not handicapped and very smart. The latter may have been true but I still exhibited Asperger characteristics because of senory issues and motor skills anamolies (such as rather poor posture).
I don't think of myself as handicapped. Just different. And yes, I've suffered dearly in life for being different. I try to live an honorable life and I'm independent and beleive I have every right to be the author of my life and exercise persuit of happiness just like any NT would expect to be afforded to them.
RE: Prenatal Autism Test May Deliver Ethical Questions
Alison Wrote:
sg1008 Wrote:
Genocide would be very difficult to carry out worldwide.
I have to disagree with you there, I'm afraid. Since the prenatal test for Down's Syndrome was developed, rates have plummeted in the developed world to almost no Down's Syndrome people being born, they are nearly all aborted. And in the undeveloped countries, infanticide is quite common. That's why I hope our genes will remain hidden for longer, until we can build up our numbers more.
Alison
Actually, in the UK at least, the number of children born with Down Syndrome has remained fairly constant. However, if it weren't for ante-natal testing and subsequent terminations, the number of births would have increased due to the increase in maternal age.
We are all made in God's image! Celebrate our diversity of gifts!
"Aspies For Freedom chooses to oppose all forms of prejudice and bigotry."
RE: Prenatal Autism Test May Deliver Ethical Questions
I don't think you can make a direct comparison between testing and termination rates for Down Syndrome and (hypothetically) for Autism. The risk for DS is associated with maternal age, whereas for Autism it is generally accepted that there is a strong genetic factor.
If there were ever to be an ante-natal test for Autism the people who would be offered it would be those with family members on the Spectrum, or who themselves are on the Spectrum.
We are all made in God's image! Celebrate our diversity of gifts!
"Aspies For Freedom chooses to oppose all forms of prejudice and bigotry."
RE: Prenatal Autism Test May Deliver Ethical Questions
This report is a few years old, but it provides some information from 2006 showing an increase in births of babies with DS, and the thoughts of parents who choose to continue with a pregnancy after receiving a positive test for Down Syndrome.
I'm just back from a weekend festival where I spent a fair bit of time in the company of a girl with Down Syndrome, as well as some people of varying ages with Asperger's.
We are all made in God's image! Celebrate our diversity of gifts!
"Aspies For Freedom chooses to oppose all forms of prejudice and bigotry."
This post was last modified: 08-28-2012 11:39 PM by Marcia.
RE: Prenatal Autism Test May Deliver Ethical Questions
Marcia Wrote:
This report is a few years old, but it provides some information from 2006 showing an increase in births of babies with DS, and the thoughts of parents who choose to continue with a pregnancy after receiving a positive test for Down Syndrome.
I'm just back from a weekend festival where I spent a fair bit of time in the company of a girl with Down Syndrome, as well as some people of varying ages with Asperger's.
What kind of festival?
Red Line 叙事詩 もっとエピック
Actual Date of Joining AFF: Feb 2009
Eamus Catuli [Must we be normal?]
RE: Prenatal Autism Test May Deliver Ethical Questions
Genesis Wrote:
Marcia Wrote:
This report is a few years old, but it provides some information from 2006 showing an increase in births of babies with DS, and the thoughts of parents who choose to continue with a pregnancy after receiving a positive test for Down Syndrome.
I'm just back from a weekend festival where I spent a fair bit of time in the company of a girl with Down Syndrome, as well as some people of varying ages with Asperger's.
Arts, faith and social justice. It's a huge event, with about 20,000 people, and most camp there for the weekend.
We spent a lot of time in the Sanctuary, which was a space set aside for people with disabilities, and there is an AS group which meet up once a day during the festival.
We are all made in God's image! Celebrate our diversity of gifts!
"Aspies For Freedom chooses to oppose all forms of prejudice and bigotry."
This post was last modified: 08-28-2012 11:57 PM by Marcia.
Homepage
Avatars
AutTV
Forums
Games
Chatroom
Search
Calendar
Help
