Next On The Pre-Natal Extermination List: Autism?

Stunning…where do we (they) intend to draw the line?

Disheartening, frightening…yet fuels my advocacy.

What next? Murder of persons already living with disabilities because they have no perceived value in life?

Scary, especially when you read articles and blog posts where comments such as the following are made with regard to parents whose choose life for their a child who will be born with a disability:

"This is not only incredibly selfish, but ultimately it will be the state and taxpayers who will have to take care of that baby. This child will have a miserable and unproductive life at best and no religion in the world can make that any better. In this case pro-life is not much different than being pro torture."

Taken from comments to this article:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2008/09/palins-son-with.html

That makes me sick! Even though it is not quite as common as abortion of kids with Downs Syndrome there are a lot of people that abort kids with heart defects. I guess more make it to birth because the testing to find the defect is less accurate. We are going down a very slippery slide.

Oh I think I want to throw up now!

I do not have a child with any disabilities but never would it cross my mind to abort for something like that. I have seen children born with disablities grow to be wonderful children and adults. I do not believe in aborting any child. My husband and I have long said we will cherish what God gives us and that he has a plan for us even if we do not know yet. Shame in people for aborting babies because they are not "perfect"

This is completely horrible!!! I could just imagine what they would say about my family because we have 5 kids who all have some form of autism. I actaully prefer not to have these tests done. I have decided not to have the testing for Down Syndrome. The only testing I have done is the one for the heart defects which even if my Little Dancer had a heart defect, I wouldn't abort her - I think all likfe is precious and can bring across many miracles.

Although doctors need to fairly depict disabilities, and it is clear that many don't, I think that people need to understand that it is the parents who choose what to do with the information. The parents are overwhelmingly scared and think that their child will be unhappy in this mean world. I think that the answer is for communities and churches to step up and actually WELCOME and advocate for people with disabilities instead of being uncomfortable with them. Therefore people will know that their child will be welcomed and loved in at least some groups.

To get some perspecitve, when I had a fetal echo done on my son's heart before birth, it was in order to figure out if he needed to be born at the university hospital that could immediately save his life with surgery, or if I could safely deliver at the local hospital.

I held myself back from saying this earlier, and it fits here better. Tammy, you read this NY Daily News article clearly, but remember your post "This Just In: Short, Sweet and Upbeat"? Disguised in the article under nice info about gyms was very explicit information on how to get prenatal testing. Hmmm….I suspected a hidden agenda within, just sayin'.

Melody - hit the nail on the head.

Makes me very sad.

Those people who judge a human life to be not worth living may find themselves on the other side of it one day, even just through the process of getting older. I wonder what their position will be then??

You know…I would be dead.
I've been to two graduate-level classes today and wrote my first lesson plans for the two speech therapy sessions I will conduct on Monday, so I don't have many words left. But maybe that's because of the Fragile X.
Hmm.

It's scary and sad. I just don't have anything else to say.

I'm sad to say that I'm not surprised. I've actually been expecting it. I think it's awful. I can't say enough good things about Sarah Palin. I don't know if I'll agree with all her politics, but as a woman and a mom? LOVE HER. I'd be proud to follow an example like that.

I'm all for pre-natal testing, if only for the mere fact that it prepares parents for a suspected outcome - whatever that outcome may be. But, to abort based upon said outcome, to me, is outrageous, sad, and indeed, very disheartening. When pregnant with Isaac (a few months after Wee E arrived), everyone PUSHED HARD for an amnio. I laughed. For I knew just how beautiful T21 is and would be if it happened again. We need to continue with our plight to educate, as do the parents of beautiful children with autism. Thanks for posting. Again, in my opinion, there are no mistakes.

I thought I was about to be sick in reading that statistic ~ 92%????? I had NO idea the percentage was so high. I cannot believe that there are that many people in this world that would not accept a child with Downs. What about children who are born "healthy" and then develop cancer or some other serious illness later in life?? You wouldn't kill a 2 year old that is seriously ill, why do it before they're born?? Because you don't 'see' it so it's easier? I do agree with prenatal testing it if the intention is to try to either correct a problem or just be informed for when the baby is born. The problem is, more times than not, that's not what it's used for. I never had prenatal testing for either child. I accepted what God gave me. I just don't understand.

I just wrote a post about this also, I had no idea the % was so high and I had the same thought about 'is autism next'?

http://3runningincircles.blogspot.com/2008/09/thoughts-on-prenatal-testing.html

It's true about dr's, when my blood test showed risk for Down syndrome w/ Little Bitty, the dr's office was so sad in giving me the news and seemed to expect that I'd want to abort him if DS was confirmed. I refused the amnio, didn't need to know that badly as it didn't change anything as far as I was concerned. I think there's something to be said for preparing ahead of time, but the way it's being used to basically eradicate particular groups of people is soo tragic and disheartening.

@Melody - that blog you quoted is just horrible, it's hard to believe anyone would think that way. As for murder of persons living w/ disabilities, sadly it has happened and it is tragic :(. http://thiswayoflife.org/murder.html I came across this a while back and I couldn't even finish reading it, I was sobbing so hard.

@Trish - excellent point.

@Julie - I totally agree, I am so glad that someone like Sarah Palin has the opportunity to show the world in a very public way that children with disabilities are blessings!

Just wanted to say thanks for posting this - it confirms what my husband and I have talked about many times. That number (92%) is staggering… and frightening and heartbreaking. God help us.