title: Should we welcome a cure for autism? A survey of the arguments.
abstract: Substantial research efforts have been devoted to developing a cure for autism, but some advocates of people with autism claim that these efforts are misguided and even harmful. They claim that there is nothing wrong with people with autism, so there is nothing to cure. Others argue that autism is a serious and debilitating disorder and that a cure for autism would be a wonderful medical breakthrough. Our goal in this essay is to evaluate what assumptions underlie each of these positions. We evaluate the arguments made on each side, reject those that are implausible and then highlight the key assumptions of those that remain.
authors.affiliation: Philosophy Department, Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY 14456, USA. barnes@hws.edu
authors.forename: R Eric
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McCabe
mesh_terms: D001076:Aptitude; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D044822:Biodiversity; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004645:Empathy; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005195:Family Relations; D006295:Health Resources / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D028681:Moral Obligations; D009042:Motivation; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010551:Personality; D011788:Quality of Life