When caught early (~6 months) moderate autism is very treatable. Parents don't like to do it because it requires a lot of effort on their part--3 days a week of socialization therapy. Far easier to hand the kid an iPad or use a DVD as a babysitter while they update their Facebook. (Incidentally, I think that overuse of TV/screen time is a major cause for autism.) When you treat your child like a fashion accessory or trophy, you shouldn't be surprised when they turn out to be exceptional.
For extremely low-functioning autism, there's not much you can do except buckle up and kiss your life goodbye. Your career, your marriage, your savings... all of it will be sacrificed to your sperg.
i know im late, but i just found this thread, and i agree with every bit of it, i haaaate seeing all these parents putting their disabled kids most personal issues on the net for the public, and they hide behind, justifying it in the name of '' awareness'' no, its exploitation, its taking advantage and some of it borders on voyeurism.
now as far as TV time, i dunno, because many of us genXers and boomers grew up on tv, yes we also played outside and did other things, but still, we enjoyed our tv shows and cartoons but most of us never had the 'Tism. -- but i do see these severe disabled kids and i wish they could discover a way to detect prenatal and abort these potatoes and spazz-tards.
Down syndrome is detectable, autism is not but it's also a bit more complicated. I'm sure they will figure that out at some point though.
Both are shit conditions and I wouldn't want my child to suffer from them.
downs as well as other genetic retardation syndromes should pretty much be a requirement to screen for and abort, now granted there are downs people and similar who are relatively mildly challenged, they are functional and some are quite smart and capable, talented yes. BUT , more often than not, they are minimally functional at best, its far too biog of a gamble to risk since you dont know how severe they will or will not be until after a few years at least. if this is done, then the resources can be better used on those few that were not able to be pre screened and ended up being born, as well as helping those folks who ended up disabled by accident , illness/ unforeseen circumstances. help those people live best life possible, don't knowingly bring a damn water-head potato into the world, knowing there's a real good chance they will hinder and burden the family, as well as the services sector and larger communities. it is selfish, pure and simple to keep them, and honestly i wish they could be euthanized shortly after birth or in early life if they discover the kid is severely autistic or similar lifelong condition of, yes, suffering, these kids, suffer especially in adulthood. they live in a world they cannot really participate in or contribute in any real way in.