how many would abort if you could test for autism in womb
ASPartOfMe
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Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 68
Gender: Male
Posts: 39,637
Location: Long Island, New York
The original question was not if you would abort a child but would people in general abort a fetus if they knew he or she would be born autistic. Assuming abortion itself remains legal it would not be as bad as with Down Syndrome but it would be widespread.
Neurodiversity movement advocates need to stop bieng overconfident that this won’t happen. Abortion will still be a womens rights/freedom of choice issue and that includes autistic women too. What ND groups need to do is think about ways to lesson the rates. One will be to continue to lower stigmas, advocate for better treatments, and make this a more autism friendly world so the idea that if you let an autistic be born he or she will be misrable, will never have job or relationship will be less realistic. Insurence companies and employers should not be allowed to discriminate against parents who decide to let their autistic child be born.
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“Self Acceptance is a process not a performance”
“You are autistic enough. And you always have been”
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity.
Btw
If anyone is in this situation,
Adoption law has been a special interest for me, so I know a lot of resources.
Both for adoption, and if you wish to raise the child yourself I can help you find resources.
I am also more than willing to adopt the child myself if you live in my state (Regardless of disability), but be aware that as of right now I am 17, I found in the law a way to adopt before 21 in Colorado.
If this were to happen by the time I'm 21, or 18 possibly at the lowest in another state (Honestly 19 if I'm lucky right now), I will probably be licenced to adopt. By 21, I could also under the law adopt from most states. Though a small number have a minimum age of 25, that isn't common.
I can also provide resources on most disabilities that may come up.
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Diagnosed autistic level 2, ODD, anxiety, dyspraxic, essential tremors, depression (Doubted), CAPD, hyper mobility syndrome
Suspected; PTSD (Treated, as my counselor did notice), possible PCOS, PMDD, Learning disabilities (Sure of it, unknown what they are), possibly something wrong with immune system (Sick about as much as I'm not) Possible EDS- hyper mobility type (Will be getting tested, suggested by doctor) dysautonomia
If I was a woman and could know that then no I wouldn't. Look at Andrea Bocelli a man who was blind from birth. He's never seen anybody or even the world and yet it didn't stunt his life whatsoever. Nobody should have their life terminated just because they have something wrong with them. Life is a gift and I believe everybody deserves the chance to live their life
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See I wouldn't do it if it was something like being blind, but say a child was going to have a disease that slowly killed them over time like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy?
It's a very terrible disease that causes a child to loose control of their muscles and they start off in wheelchairs before they end up completely bedridden. They loose control of their breathing and end up having to be put on an oxygen hose so they can breathe and they often have a lot of surgery for things like their intestines because they have trouble digesting foods (at least this is everything I know for a fact my best friend went through). These people don't live very long and end up dying in their 20's and 30's.
If I knew my child was going to have to go through something as terrible as that I would rather abort as a form of mercy killing so that they didn't have to suffer that way.
It's a very terrible disease that causes a child to loose control of their muscles and they start off in wheelchairs before they end up completely bedridden. They loose control of their breathing and end up having to be put on an oxygen hose so they can breathe and they often have a lot of surgery for things like their intestines because they have trouble digesting foods (at least this is everything I know for a fact my best friend went through). These people don't live very long and end up dying in their 20's and 30's.
If I knew my child was going to have to go through something as terrible as that I would rather abort as a form of mercy killing so that they didn't have to suffer that way.
The way I see it, knowing all sorts of people dealing with all sorts of things, it is best to make the most of the time you have instead of cutting it short. Instead of being the cause of death, you can make the time the child has as good and filled with love as can be.
I know people with severe chronic pain that can still enjoy life, and 20 years is still 20 years more than they would have if aborted.
Everyone dies one day, no need to rush it.
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Diagnosed autistic level 2, ODD, anxiety, dyspraxic, essential tremors, depression (Doubted), CAPD, hyper mobility syndrome
Suspected; PTSD (Treated, as my counselor did notice), possible PCOS, PMDD, Learning disabilities (Sure of it, unknown what they are), possibly something wrong with immune system (Sick about as much as I'm not) Possible EDS- hyper mobility type (Will be getting tested, suggested by doctor) dysautonomia
It's a very terrible disease that causes a child to loose control of their muscles and they start off in wheelchairs before they end up completely bedridden. They loose control of their breathing and end up having to be put on an oxygen hose so they can breathe and they often have a lot of surgery for things like their intestines because they have trouble digesting foods (at least this is everything I know for a fact my best friend went through). These people don't live very long and end up dying in their 20's and 30's.
If I knew my child was going to have to go through something as terrible as that I would rather abort as a form of mercy killing so that they didn't have to suffer that way.
Yeah agreed. If it was a horrible disease that was going to cause untold pain and misery then I probably would abort. But in my eyes Autism isn't a disease and you can lead a happy life with it.
Pain is guaranteed in life regardless, misery is never guaranteed in anything.
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Diagnosed autistic level 2, ODD, anxiety, dyspraxic, essential tremors, depression (Doubted), CAPD, hyper mobility syndrome
Suspected; PTSD (Treated, as my counselor did notice), possible PCOS, PMDD, Learning disabilities (Sure of it, unknown what they are), possibly something wrong with immune system (Sick about as much as I'm not) Possible EDS- hyper mobility type (Will be getting tested, suggested by doctor) dysautonomia
Here? No. For various reasons.
One, like divorce, it's illegal here. It could be for the same reasons, too.
Two, it is very discouraged here, in more ways than one.
My current culture is pro-life, sure. But if it were my opinion, it had little to do with that.
Three, even if I do have the choice, the legal means, I'd likely won't.
Not even finances for an excuse -- I've seen poorer families with better supports, and I'm not talking about support from government or insurance. It'll be a laugh if so.
If my family accepts me, I won't doubt they accept the child. And...
My current culture is also that accepting.
But if others chose otherwise, it'll socially cost them.
Four, as a woman with a choice, I'd prevent myself from making neither decisions by not having a child in the first place.
If it just happens, who am I to take a potentially living person's life?
I could just give it to someone who would want a child really badly, or ask my family for help. There are good chances that they are willing.
And, I've seen too many cases of adopting one's niece/nephew/younger relative/fatherless children/orphans. Including my own family.
Others would likely go the same route.
Unless encouraging pro-choice and legalizing abortion is already effective for around, say, at least a decade if not more. Or, as late as if religion doesn't exists in practice anymore.
And lastly, fifth, as unwise as it already was, as foolish it may seem: over population, financial burden, overall difficulty of one becoming a parent -- especially to an autistic child, whatever makes pro-life a 'foolish' thing, what makes sentimentality or the morality of sanctioning of life 'stupid'... Others won't.
If one asks me? Just no.
I respect anyone's decision and opinions, but my decision would usually be a 'no', pro-life culture and laws or no. I'm not even pro-life myself! As pro-choice, my choice is 'no'.
If I were to ask others the same thing -- actually, they likely do if it weren't for laws and discouragement, and that'll likely be their choice.
But in this very present, in reality, it IS the case; anti-abortion laws and pro-life.
I dunno for how long, because that would be dismantling bits of my current culture's cultural core; namely the family oriented part of this culture.
And as this culture is tied to 300+ years of Catholicism, there are also complaints of course, trying to advocate legalization of abortion and divorce.
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The mere fact that science may not yet adequately explain an object, event, or experience does not mean the immediate explanation should automatically default to a conspiratorial, extraterrestrial, paranormal, or supernatural cause.
Try this one: Should it be left up to men to decide how much and what kind of clothing woman should be allowed to wear in public?
Or another: Should it be left up to men to decide whether or not any woman can use contraception, or which method women should be allowed to use?
Or another: Should it be left up to men to decide how many tampons or pads a woman is allowed to use each day?
Sure, men can have opinions on these things, but when it comes down to making an actually decision over what a woman can and cannot do with her body, who should have the final say: a male politician or the woman who needs to make the decision?
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The mere fact that science may not yet adequately explain an object, event, or experience does not mean the immediate explanation should automatically default to a conspiratorial, extraterrestrial, paranormal, or supernatural cause.
Try this one: Should it be left up to men to decide how much and what kind of clothing woman should be allowed to wear in public?
Or another: Should it be left up to men to decide whether or not any woman can use contraception, or which method women should be allowed to use?
Or another: Should it be left up to men to decide how many tampons or pads a woman is allowed to use each day?
Sure, men can have opinions on these things, but when it comes down to making an actually decision over what a woman can and cannot do with her body, who should have the final say: a male politician or the woman who needs to make the decision?
Frankly, I see no reason to completely exclude men from any of those, so long as woman have at least as strong a voice. Most of those would be a waste of time to control legally and would government overstep however, but abortion is talking about people's lives.
Every example my mind was coming up with was racist, so I just went with the one attacking my own race. Give me a break there.
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Diagnosed autistic level 2, ODD, anxiety, dyspraxic, essential tremors, depression (Doubted), CAPD, hyper mobility syndrome
Suspected; PTSD (Treated, as my counselor did notice), possible PCOS, PMDD, Learning disabilities (Sure of it, unknown what they are), possibly something wrong with immune system (Sick about as much as I'm not) Possible EDS- hyper mobility type (Will be getting tested, suggested by doctor) dysautonomia
Even if the women reading aren't pregnant, and never plan to be?
And there's no actual testing for autism in the womb?
And it's all hypothetical?
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