Questions abound—including whether it is even treatableTo some parents, kidnapping is a near-perfect metaphor to describe the agony of autism. Last year, the Child Study Center at New York University even seized on it for "The Ransom Note" campaign, which tried to raise awareness about autism and other disorders, including depression, bulimia and attention deficit disorder.
"We have your son," read the ominous ransom note, signed by "autism." "We will make sure he will no longer be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives."
The ad, however, was quickly pulled because it generated so much outrage. Though everyone believes a kidnapped child should be returned, a fierce debate is raging over whether autistic children can—and should—"be recovered."
The controversy is baffling and distressing to many parents who understand that there is no "cure" for autism but have found treatments that seem to alleviate some of the physical symptoms and suffering. If your child had leukemia, they think, why on earth wouldn't you try to treat it?
But recovery presumes that autism is something you aren't just born with. Instead, this line of thought goes, you can "get" it, perhaps from vaccines, another controversial notion because mainstream science refutes any link between the ingredients in vaccines—or the number of shots—and autism.
For high-functioning autistics, such as those with Asperger's syndrome, "recovery" is an upsetting concept because it implies they have something to recover from; it's a loss of identity. And for parents, the intoxicating idea that autistic children can get better often adds to the heartbreak. If there's a cure, they're obligated to find it, regardless of the physical, emotional or financial toll on the family.
NY Times