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[hops]

Not to mention that most genes are just risk factors. A person with autistic genes won't always be autistic. I don't even know if autistic genes are a thing.

[Egan_BW]

wibbly wobbly genie genetically

which is to say that nobody knows, really, but we assume the answers exist?

[Baffler]

I don't even know if autistic genes are a thing.

Neither does anyone else, tbh. You could probably find at least one study that says autism is caused by pretty much anything that jumps to mind. I've seen people claim it's because of mercury compounds in vaccines, teflon residues from non-stick cookware, pesticide residues in food, changes in diagnostic standards, "some unknown epigenetic factor", the internet changing the way people think, and a dozen other things.

[hops]

Autism is likely difficult to understand genetically due to the fact that it's a spectrum. I mean, I have some autistic traits, but I would be very far from the spectrum that it won't count as a disorder. It's also interesting that said traits seem to be shared with my mother, but whether it was hereditary or behavioral, I have no idea.

[cottontailcake]

Perhaps it could be said that autism is a collection of symptoms, rather than a cause? But I suppose the same thing goes for many disorders. I kind of get the impression that it's the degree to which a person is able to or finds it important to mirror the behavior of people around them.

... humans are so annoying to study. I could just imagine aliens trying to use us for experiments and then giving up in frustration. This is the real reason we use mice. :V

[hops]

But mice are actually 3D protrusions of extradimensional beings that study us.

[Harry Baldman]

... humans are so annoying to study. I could just imagine aliens trying to use us for experiments and then giving up in frustration. This is the real reason we use mice. :V

It's all relative. Mice are convenient to use for us because they're much shorter-lived and smaller. Mice would be terribly inconvenient models for other mice. So if the alien in question was both enormous (or gifted with a lot of resources) and (comparatively) eternal, no doubt we'd be a pretty good model organism in its perspective.

[Flying Dice]

Consider that people with autism never really asked to have their condition, and probably won't tolerate eugenics on top of that.

Well as someone with autism I actually support the idea of some basic low-impact eugenics. Though not in the context of eliminating autistics of course.
But a program to slowly improve the mental acuity of the general population? That'd be awesome.

I'm aware that eugenics is unpopular enough that fake bad stuff about it can slip by, but it was my understanding that there's no way to conduct eugenics on any scale without either:

1) killing people
2) forcibly sterilizing people
3) punishing people viciously for having kids when they weren't supposed to
4) ensuring undesirables don't have kids by building stigma against them

None of those things are exactly ethically sound. What does a 'low-impact' eugenics program look like?

Social stigma against incest.

Boom. That's productive, mostly-helpful eugenics in action right there.

[Putnam]

That's against a relationship type, not an individual.

[scrdest]

... humans are so annoying to study. I could just imagine aliens trying to use us for experiments and then giving up in frustration. This is the real reason we use mice. :V

It would be the same for mice. Any multifactorial disease with a vague pattern of inheritance that may require an environmental trigger to boot is a bitch to study.

[Aklyon]

I don't even know if autistic genes are a thing.

Neither does anyone else, tbh. You could probably find at least one study that says autism is caused by pretty much anything that jumps to mind. I've seen people claim it's because of mercury compounds in vaccines, teflon residues from non-stick cookware, pesticide residues in food, changes in diagnostic standards, "some unknown epigenetic factor", the internet changing the way people think, and a dozen other things.

Most of these sound dumb, except the diagnostic standards ones (actually could make sense) and the vaccines one (which is wrong and leads to stupid anti-vaxxers)

[Orange Wizard]

Perhaps it could be said that autism is a collection of symptoms, rather than a cause? But I suppose the same thing goes for many disorders. I kind of get the impression that it's the degree to which a person is able to or finds it important to mirror the behavior of people around them.

Autism is an inherited (i.e., genetic, and therefore a vaccine argument is immensely dumb) developmental disorder. It occurs as a result of a child's brain "locking" neural pathways in to place earlier than would otherwise occur in a healthy child, meaning that the autistic child has not had enough time for unnecessary pathways to be culled.
The result is often slightly improved cognitive skills, but impaired social development, and sensory hypersensitivity. The severity of these symptoms will vary depending on the individual, hence the term autism spectrum disorder.

I'm at the high-functioning Asperger's Syndrome end of the spectrum, and would be very upset if someone told me I should be eugenicsed, although I certainly wouldn't wish it on somebody else. I can only imagine how hard it is for people with severe autism, and the people around them.

The other thing I take issue with are idiot parents who insist that their autistic child isn't disabled or in any way unhealthy. Treating them like a normal child will be severely detrimental. They will need extra attention and education.
Spoiling them because they're unironically "special" will also be severely detrimental, in the same way it's detrimental for any child (any anyone who has to deal with the spoiled brat).

...

Wow, I'm on rant-roll tonight. I wonder what the next one will be about >.>

[Twinwolf]

SO SINCE THIS IS THE HAPPY THREAD

My dog is sitting on my legs and is very warm.

[Avis-Mergulus]

SO SINCE THIS IS THE HAPPY THREAD

My dog is sitting on my legs and is very warm.

Whatchu even on about, this is autism thread

do not derail with dog

[TempAcc]

This autism thread now.

I can't read faces.

Reddit.

M'lady.

/jk

Happys: Got an interview for a lawyer job on a rather important local industry business thing. Excite.