Comments about ‘Playing with words’

I leave for another day the issue of how much can or should be budgeted for autism. But Mr. Sowell's apparent doubts about "the autism spectrum" are foolish.

In my own family and via friends, I have known well children with autism in its various modes - from Asperger Syndrome to full blown Autism. As with many things, it is a spectrum.

I am sure most of us know folks who have limited hearing or vision yet can still see. We may also know those who are fully deaf or blind.

Is the lesser version of each disorder less of a problem for the person? Sure. But does that mean it is not a problem? No.

Kids (and folks in general) on the light end of the Autism Spectrum often have severe social deficits (they can be "blind" to normal social cues). They experience anxiety easily and can be very sensitive to touch, etc.

The good news is that intervention helps. A lot.

Again, I am not arguing who should pay or how it should be paid. But I find Mr. Sowell's dismissive attitude here frustrating. He knows not of what he speaks.

“Would anyone work to support themselves or their families — and then turn over a chunk of that hard-earned money to somebody else, just because of the words used by that somebody else?”

Having ask the question, the author ignores the oldest, most often disproved, easily disproved, most widespread and most profitable con. That which we call religion.