Where Rand Paul's small-government credo fails: kids with autism
Senator Rand Paul (R) of Kentucky, a possible 2016 presidential candidate, recently toured Iowa. During a meeting in Sioux City, he took a question from a 12-year-old diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The young man, who had previously (including , Ron Paul) asked what he would do about autism. According to ,聽the senator replied:
I'm going to give you an answer you probably have never gotten before.... Here鈥檚 the real answer. Government's never going to find 鈥� and I'm not saying government can鈥檛 help, I support some government help for autism 鈥� but the answer's going to come from scientists. And politicians get in the way of most answers.
One problem with the senator鈥檚 remarks is that comes from the federal government. Although there are legitimate concerns as to whether some of this funding is , it is hard to argue that government is 鈥済etting in the way鈥� of scientists.
Another problem is that the senator seemed to assume that the only 鈥渁nswer鈥� for autism is something that comes out of a test tube. But there are no medications for core symptoms of autism, and none are on the horizon.聽 So what would the senator do for people like his young questioner?聽
are receiving school services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Increasing numbers are going on to college, where they enjoy certain protections under . Unfortunately, many adults with autism . One of the few things working in their favor is the , which forbids against people with disabilities.聽
If Paul were president, would he vigorously enforce these laws? Would he seek to change them? He needs to think seriously about such issues because autism is hardly a minor 鈥渘iche鈥� issue. found that 39 percent of respondents knew someone with autism, and the figure is probably higher today.
There are a variety of approaches to autism policy, many of which rely on market forces and . But it won鈥檛 do just to say that government should get out of the way and let scientists find the answers.
Jack Pitney writes his Looking for Trouble blog exclusively for the Monitor.
