How Would The World Be Different if Autism Was Eliminated?

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If they were able to identify the genes that causes Autism and eradicated it. Would it be a good or a bad thing? Any thoughts?

it would be terrible.

There'd be no more geniuses.

It would be like hell on Earth. There would be no more artists.

Not likely the good would out weigh the bad. For example
working backwards if Newton and Einstein were on the autism spectrum and if they never lived it might have resulted in technological progress being 50-100 years slower.

The combination of inattention that can lead to creative insight
and obsessive interest that can lead to highly specialized
knowledge in obscures areas that might have major
implications for the future is the mechanism that autism may
show its value to the world. Though some researchers have suggested people on the spectrum do not have alot of
creative insight and are better at simple memorizations.
That might be true on the whole but my premise is the
1 in 10,000 aspie or so that will make the big difference
justifies all the others existence.

Might as well just open the gates of Hell if you're going to do that.

It would result in slower technological process in anything that involves machines. However it would not eliminate all geniusness from Earth as not all geniuses are Aspies. There are NT geniuses.

Most of us are talking about AS, but what about the more severe categories of autism? As Ticker pointed out, not all geniuses have autism or Asperger's. Many "savants" are severely handicapped in most areas of their lives and need constant 24/7 care by parents or impersonal caregivers. Not even all Asperger's people function at the highest levels of creativity, employment or independence.

This being said, I don't want a "cure." I just want to function better in my daily life.

I'd be dead.

Kinda a silly question, like asking
on a Jewish board if the holocaust
was a good idea then.

itw,

I agree. The stress of trying to fit in is actually counterproductive to better functioning in daily life. One ends up with a nervous breakdown. I need to do certain things for myself and because it is important to learn them (such as driving), rather than as a way to fit in.

I think it would be a bad thing. Diversity is good.

Anyone read 'This Perfect Day' by Ira Levin? A predicitable, boring world where everyone's the same. It would probably be like that.

If that were the case then we would have no honest people in the world. I thing people can say about me is that if they ask me my opinion they know they are going to get the honest answer like it or not. Er? Well they don't always ask me, sometimes I just offer my opinion anyway.