Autism Can't Be Cured Dr. Mottron Takes Autism Speaks Cash For Research

In Why would autism speaks give Laurent Mottron half a million dollars? Autism's Gadfly, Jonathan Mitchell, has highlighted the award by Autism Speaks of almost half a million dollars in autism research funding to Dr. Laurent Mottron. Jonathan has some serious questions about the grant to Dr. Mottron by Autism Speaks, an organization that states on its web site that:

We are dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism;

Dr. Mottron is an autism expert who does not believe that autism can be cured. He is referred to as Dr. M by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal that heard the discrimination complaints of his colleague and mentor Michelle Dawson in Dawson v CPC. In that case the CHRT described Dr. Mottron's expertise:

b) The testimony of Dr. M

[99] At the beginning of his testimony, Dr. M., who is a psychiatrist, was qualified by the Tribunal as an expert in autism. Dr. M. filed a report as well as three letters pertaining to Ms.Dawson’s condition.

[100] Dr. M. testified on the nature of autism, autistic individuals as well as on Ms. Dawson’scondition. The credibility of Dr. M. as well as the accuracy of his statements and opinions was not challenged by the Respondent. The Tribunal finds Dr. M.’s testimony highly credible even ifthe evidence shows that in recent years, Ms. Dawson has worked with him and has co-authored scientific articles with Dr. M.

The Tribunal did not mention that in addition to cooperating with Ms Dawson on scientific articles he has also assisted her with her "autism" activism. In the Auton case Dr. Mottron supplied an affidavit in support of her application for intervention in the course of which she opposed funding of ABA treatment for autistic children. The good Dr. Mottron has also appeared with Ms Dawson on numerous CBC features from En Jeux to Quirks and Quarks to the feature "Positively Autistic". In the last feature in particular some very high functioning autistic persons and persons with Aspergers declared made it known that "we" don't want to be cured of our autism.

Dr. Mottron was very clear about his views on curing autism in his expert testimony before the CHRT:

[86] Ms. Dawson testified that autism is a neurological disability and that people generally do not have a good understanding of this reality. Ms. Dawson stated repeatedly that autism was not a mental illness. For her, a mental illness has an onset, various treatments, and there is a return to the previous state to a greater or lesser degree. Both Ms. Dawson and Dr. M., as will be seen, pointed out that the notion of curing autism was nonsensical. Still many people want to cure autism.

Despite his expert opinion that curing autism is a nonsensical notion Dr. Mottron still held out his hand for research dollars from Autism Speaks, an organization that seeks to cure autism. Apparently money, like politics, makes strange bedfellows. But why did Autism Speaks fund research by Dr. Mottron the outcome which will likely be more of the same stuff he has been doing for years; documenting the superior intellectual gifts of high functioning persons with autism spectrum disorders?

In the past Dr. Mottron's study subjects have been persons with HFA, Aspergers and some savants. I have not seen any of his works which focused on those "other autistics" the low functioning autistic persons, including many with Intellectual Disabilities. His studies are unlikely to be of assistance to the most seriously challenged autistic persons. Obviously, given his views about the "nonsense" of curing autism the good Doctor's research will be of no assistance in achieving a cure for autism either.

Money well spent by Autism Speaks?

Personally I don't think so. Of course Dr. Mottron probably has a different "notion".

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