Publication date: Oct 15, 2024

People with different experiences of autism, Autism Science Foundation president Alison Singer argues, need different things. Mutations in any one gene dont necessarily mean that a person will be autistic, or shape what autism will look like for them. In its statement on genetic research, the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network emphasizes, Autistic people with the highest support needs are some of the most vulnerable members of our community. She agreed that more investigations of conditions related to autism, like sensory sensitivity, would be incredibly helpful to families like her own. Just look at the mice: its been clear for years that theyre a bad proxy for autistic people, but many biomedical researchers have built their careers around using them. The ultimate goal of these funders, several of whom have autistic children, is to find treatments for autism. But autistic people understandably want tangible support now, and research serving that need is hugely underfunded.

Semantics

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