Reply #3: Excellent post! [View All]

[beam me up scottie]

Postponing my showdown with Dr. Hornig's autistic mice yet again, I would like to address a phenomenon that is nearly ubiquitous in the "alternative" medicine world. I am speaking of the concept that anybody - regardless of their education, training or experience - is qualified to speak knowingly and render expert opinion on scientific and medical matters, as long as they have personal experience of the subject under discussion.
***

The sad fact of the matter is that it takes a certain amount of education to be a scientist, or even a doctor. There are facts to learn, techniques to practice, skills to acquire and mental habits to develop. You can't get these from watching "ER", "CSI Miami" or even the Discovery Channel.
***

OK, this isn't "PC" - it's not "polite" to tell people that they don't know what they're talking about. But it's true! Just because someone has an autistic child does not make them an expert in the science of autism. Sure, they know a whole lot about raising an autistic child, but that does not give them any insight into the biochemistry or neurophysiology of autism.