Ethics of Autism

Deborah R. Barnbaum is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Kent State University and editor (with Michael Byron) of Research Ethics: Text and Readings. She lives in Kent, Ohio.

"This is an important book, and deserves a wide readership among academics and practitioners involved with autism, as well as among philosophers."—Autism". . . an important, albeit atypical, contribution to disability and ethics. . . . the work should be commended for its innovative approach.June 2009"—Choice"[The Ethics of Autism] provides a serious examination of the moral and ethical issues surrounding autism and Asperger's syndrome. Although there are many books about autism, in the 66 years since the condition was first described none has tackled the ehtics of autism head on in the way that Barnbaum does. This book kick-starts the ethical debate that I think we need.Vol. 373, May 9, 2009"—The Lancet"I know of no other work that tries to draw on the extensive and emerging psychological literature on autism to examine this disorder for its philosophical and ethical implications. . . . Its conclusions challenge many leading theories of ethics' claims regarding necessary and sufficient cognitive capabilities for moral reasoning. In practical terms, it challenges assumptions about the appropriateness of some parental decision making and research in relation to autism."—Ronald M. Green, author of Babies by Design: The Ethics of Genetic Choice"This book will be of great interest to philosophers and students of philosophy on the issues of autism and what it means to be a person."—Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures"How many of us, when first thinking about the problems raised by autism, would have imagined that one of the most cogent ethical problems is whether one ought to cure the disorder if a cure were to become available? Why this is a true ethical problem is only one of many insights to be gained from Deborah R. Barnbaum's meticulous analysis. Along the way, we confront perhaps the greatest challenge—what would it actually be like for us to get inside the heads of persons with autism, and experience life as they do?"—Howard Brody, MD, PhD, Director, Institute for the Medical Humanities, University of Texas Medical Branch, and author of Th

• AcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. A Philosophical Introduction to AutismVoices of Autism: Jim Sinclair2. The Value of an Autistic LifeVoices of Autism: Wendy Lawson3. Autism and Moral TheoriesVoices of Autism: Gunilla Gerland4. Autism and Genetic TechnologiesVoices of Autism: Donna Williams5. Research on Persons with AutismVoices of Autism: Temple GrandinNotesBibliographyIndex