The Geneticization of Autism: From New Reproductive Technologies to the Conception of Genetic Normalcy

Abstract

This article examines how biomedicalization, the turn toward utilizing science for enhanced control over the body and the expanded reach of medical technologies in everyday life, has influenced divergent strategies among activists concerned about autism. It shows how divisive conflicts emerge from biological uncertainties about the etiology of autism. But it also suggests how these divisions among activists reflect deeper issues about the role of biomedical knowledge in shaping our understanding of normality as well as underlying assumptions about biological determinism. It is argued that the pull of biological/genetic explanations creates the context for life‐optimization strategies as the primary means to improve the lives of people with autism and similar disabilities. Moreover, the genetic understanding of autism furthers a cultural narrative about the possibility that biotechnological innovation will regenerate healthy children. This context increases expectations for the production of normal children, swings the agenda away from social and environmental issues, and ultimately produces an increased reliance on women’s labor and care work.