Erasing [those with] Autism

That is exactly the fear of Ari Ne'e-man.  In this Newsweek piece titled "Erasing Autism," Ari Ne'e-man, who has Asperger Syndrome, voices his fear:

But the new genetic advances concern Ne'eman. He doesn't believe autism can be, or should be, cured. His ultimate fear is this: a prenatal test for autism, leading to "eugenic elimination." If a test is developed one day, it will be used, he says. And that means people like him might cease to exist.

When I press Ne'eman on genetic research—doesn't it have some merit?—he says he doesn't oppose it outright, but he believes scientists must consider the ethical implications of their work far more carefully. Already couples are testing embryos for diseases like Huntington's, then choosing to implant only the healthy ones. And who can blame them? But autism isn't a fatal condition. Should people without the disorder be allowed to judge the quality of life of someone who has it? "That is a message that the world doesn't want us here," says Ne'eman, "and it devalues our lives."

The genetics is not the problem here.  The problem is a society that likes to throw the baby out with the dirty genetic bathwater.  Ne'eman should not have to fear genetic research.  But because our society embraces death as a legitimate medical treatment, he, like many others, sees every piece of genetic information as a new way to eliminate those who are "genetically defective." 

The article is titled "Erasing Autism."  But what Ne'eman astutely sees is a society that will happily commence "Erasing [those with] Autism" instead.