Spectrum of opinion: genes, autism and psychological spectrum disorders

The Progress Educational Trust (PET) debate 'From Autism to Asperger's: Disentangling the Genetics and Sociology of the Autistic Spectrum' took place in the UK Houses of Parliament on the evening of 20 October 2009, two days before the Autism Bill received its third and final reading in the House of Lords....[Read More]

Studying autism genetics responsibly

Autism and Asperger Syndrome are two subgroups on the autistic spectrum. They both share difficulties in social relationships and in communication, alongside the presence of unusually narrow interests and a strong preference for predictability. They are neurological and, as we now realise, strongly (though not 100 per cent) genetic. These two subgroups are differentiated by the presence of language delay and/or learning difficulties in autism, and by the absence of these in Asperger Syndrome....[Read More]

Genetic testing of children prior to adoption

Recently, a new angle to the many and varied debates over predictive genetic testing has emerged. A number of clinical geneticists in the UK have been requested to undertake genetic tests on children who are up for adoption. When advised that these tests were not in the interests of the children concerned, several local authorities obtained court orders enforcing the tests....[Read More]