There was a recently a post on one of the forums on a snippet about a doctor who had declared that kids in the spectrum are doomed for life and cannot recover etc etc. Few parents were rightly indignant and reacted angrily wanting to the out the name of the doctor. Although sometimes it is depressing to hear such things from the learned community - somewhere I recall reading that Medicine is not about just curing, its about curing with caring sensitivity - my reaction is thus:
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As a "practicing parent" for the past ~7 years, let me give a contra view here. Lot of folks here have condemned the doc who had talked Autism being a lifelong condition and cannot be cured.
Do I agree, No. But am I outraged ? No. Doctors are professional, he has given his professional/informed (to what extent, is very subjective) views. We just have to take it as one more point of view. Personally, I don't mind diverse opinions, since it provides us with the worst case scenario that I can start preparing for. Providentially, in reality and in life, if the best case (or even average case) scenario happens, I'm better prepared and well covered.
So, I'm personally against naming the doctor. He has provided his view at a completely non-emotional level. And in his life time, data would him prove him wrong; and right. I think he was merely giving his professional opinion, even though its not what we want to hear. If we want someone to tell us what we want to hear, we should just go to our own parents/support-groups :) !!
Having said all of this, do I think there is going to be a cure (whatever that implies) - I don't know, don't care. All I know is that its possible for my son to have a close to normal life with obvious idiosyncrasies (like every other human being is). As parents, we will (and should) focus/continue to do things that raises the probability level of that result.
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