Just wondering…
Please don’t misunderstand. I’ve always thought the space program was a great thing. I watched TV coverage of America’s first manned space launch with my fourth-grade class, saw the Moon landing with high school friends, and as an adult worked many years supporting unmanned launches from Cape Canaveral. Over time, this effort has resulted in dramatic changes in the way we all live that are now taken for granted (e.g., satellite TV). It has often prompted a shared sense of pride and community. And the demonstration of sheer brainpower is impressive for its own sake.
But here’s a question that has bothered me for years.
Since we, as a society, can do what is depicted in this astonishing video (please do click the image and watch it), and since similar massive efforts are also deemed necessary to understand the causes of anomalies and mishaps such as airplane crashes…
Is it unreasonable to expect the same level of smarts to be deployed, with the same sustained focus, in the cause of improving our response to developmental disability?
When my son Joseph was born in 1985, I naively but naturally expected to see that happen. Then, as his mom and I began pursuing leads in hopes of finding the answers he needed, I realized how very many other families were grappling with the same problem. Generally, they did so with no help from the acknowledged experts.
Important work is being done, here and there. I know a highly motivated researcher at George Washington University, who tells me much of her time is spent trying to secure funding for continued work. Last year I wrote about attending the very stimulating “Frontiers in Neural Disorders” conference in San Diego. The speakers had interesting things to say, but I perceived no sense of urgency. Occasionally an upbeat report appears in the news. But actual breakthroughs–the sort of thing that would give people like Joseph additional options in life–appear to be generations away.
We as a society all suffer as a result. Just saying.
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