February 29, 2016 - 16:49
One idea that I would like to explore more in class is parental reactions to being pregnant with/having a child with a disability, and how genetic testing plays a role in this process. As I mentioned in class, prenatal screening is the norm for most pregnant women nowadays, at least in the United States, including tests that indicate whether or not your child has Down syndrome. While some women choose to abort pregnancies based on prenatal testing results, others adapt and seek information so that they can be better preapred and equipped to satisfy their child's particular needs.
The questions I would like to discuss that relate to this overarching topic are: are there certain types of conditions or disabilities that, if detected prenatally, “justify” an abortion? If yes, what are they? Are there adoption services/foster homes that specifically take newborns with disabilities?
And then, more closely tied to parental reactions, how can we provide and publicize better education to families that are expecting/have a child with a disability? Is there a way to overshadow larger, established organizations such as “Autism Speaks” with information that is more accurate, thorough, and multi-faceted?