| What if autism is evolution? |
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Excuse me while I go out here on a limb. We read every day about the growing "epidemic" of autism. How more and more children are being diagnosed everyday. One out of 150 is the current rate. How we need to walk for a cure. After reading an article in "Wired" magazine about an autistic woman who didn't want to be cured, just accepted, and who wanted to educate people that she, like homosexuals, had been hardwired that way . . . I got to thinking. What if autism is a way our race is "evolving" to fit the changes of our world? In response to the chemicals we have breathed, ingested, injected, exposed to which we have exposed our children and ourselves throughout the industrialization of our world. In response to our growing dependence on computers, the Internet, television, email and other forms of electronic communication. While all these things have brought us benefits, we also complain about the negatives. We don't know our next door neighbors, but we "chat" with a new friend in Australia twice a week. While the Internet and computers have caused us to go into ourselves and interact with other humans in a way unknown to us just 50 years ago, technology has allowed nonverbal members of our society new ways to communicate and show the rest of the world that they, too, have an intellect and a worth and something to offer mankind. I'm going to be giving this lots of thought, but it's just another reason why we, the atypical folks of God's world, need to be more understanding and more accepting of those who are different. In our lifetimes, we will all be touched by a close family member who is developmentally delayed, non-verbal, or just plain quirky. Who are we to say that they are different? We are all God's creatures with gifts to share. God made us the way we are. Accept us. |
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