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I believe autism is a social construct, in exactly the same way that I believe disability is a social construct. That does not mean to say that there are not underlying neurological substrates and differences that give rise to the symptoms which society has variosly constructed as Autism, PDD, Asperger's etc. You will be able to buy my DVD which explains this shortly, a very nice media construct entitled "Whichever way you look at it, it's still Autism" from the National Autistic Society and you can read my reasoning here http://www.larry-arnold.info/Neurodiversity/Mission/whichever.htm It was presented at the AWARES on line conference and archived discussion on it may still be available if you log on http://www.awares.org/conferences/home.asp?conferenceCode=00020001 Of course you may be confusing the issue with the controversy surrounding Proffessor Elliot of Durjam University and Dyslexia, http://www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2131182 another construct that society has made out of ones residence on the neurodiverse landscape. Incedentally Arthritis is a construct too as ones own name is, ones gender, ones hair colour and especially the clothes we wear :) Indeed if it were not for tailors we'd all be naked. Larry > -----Original Message----- > From: The Disability-Research Discussion List > [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Jason Ellis > Sent: 12 February 2006 01:32 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Autism debate > > > Hi everyone, > I remember some time ago (over a couple of months ago) there > being a number of > items go out over list-serve about a British researcher (I believe) whose > research came under fire from some parents groups because the > researcher said > something to the effect of autism being a social construct. I took only a > passive interest in what was going on when it first came out, but > now I'd like > to revisit the debate. Sorry for the sketchy details, this is > how I remember > the incident. I looked back through some of the old postings to > the list, but > I can't find this particular item. If anyone thinks they know > what I'm talking > about, and wouldn't mind helping me out, I'd be very grateful. > Please reply to > me off-list with any info you might have. ([log in to unmask]). Thanks very > much. > > Jason. > > -- > Jason Ellis > Ph.D. candidate > Department of History, York University, (Toronto, Ontario) > [log in to unmask] > > ________________End of message______________________ > > This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre > for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds > (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies). Enquiries about the list > administratione should be sent to [log in to unmask] > > Archives and tools are located at: > www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html > > You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page. > ________________End of message______________________ This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies). Enquiries about the list administratione should be sent to [log in to unmask] Archives and tools are located at: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.