jpfudgeworth wrote:
But if we take this question seriously for a moment, can two people with aspergers produce a child that has more severe autism? And should that be a concern for couples with aspergers?
Yes, and yes. If you are going to be a parent, you should be ready to be a parent to any child, including one with severe autism or one that's so ridiculously neurogtypical you have to work your butt off to connect with him. Many parents, NT or otherwise, have problems at first when they realize that their child is not like them; if you're not ready to parent a child who is not like you, then you shouldn't become a parent.
That said, parents of profoundly autistic kids today are facing issues that will probably be much easier to handle twenty years from now when those who are thinking of having kids now bring in the next generation. Twenty years ago, autism was not very well known and there were very few resources. Twenty years before that, institutionalization was still routine. Looking at that trend, and looking at how people today are fighting for the rights of autistics everywhere, it seems reasonable to believe that, if we were to have kids this year and raise them during the next twenty years, it would be better for us than it was for our parents, and our kids would have more opportunities than our generation did.
But yes... if you are not ready for a disabled child, then you're not read for a child. After all, there are no guarantees even for NT parents. Even if you were to
adopt a totally neurotypical child with absolutely no health problems, there's no guarantee that child mightn't get a permanent injury in an accident, or get brain damage from a bout with meningitis. Either you're in it all the way, or you shouldn't be a parent to begin with. People who don't realize that have to scramble to catch up when they do become parents, and that's in no way good for their kids.