Our Media Watch Letters

See below for ASAT’s responses to both accurate and inaccurate news stories over the years. To learn more about Media Watch , please click here.   Disclaimer:  Please note that our Media Watch letters represent the views of the individual writer(s) and do not necessarily represent a formal position taken by the Board of ASAT. Latest Media Watch…

About Media Watch

David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D and Erin Leif, PhD, BCBA-D Association for Science in Autism Treatment ASAT is a science-based organization, and part of our mission is to educate the public about effective autism treatment and to improve the accuracy with which autism and its treatment are portrayed in the media. We do the latter by…

Media Representations of the Behavior Analytic Treatment of Autism: Highlighting a Decade of ASAT’s Efforts to Promote Accuracy

David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D, Nicole Stewart, MSEd, BCBA, Katie Daly, MA, BCBA, LBA, and Erin Leif, PhD, BCBA-D Association for Science in Autism Treatment One way that ASAT supports dissemination of science-based treatment is through our Media Watch efforts. ASAT’s Media Watch team monitors mainstream media for published information about autism and autism treatments. Understanding that every…

Five Principles of Ethical Journalism: Implications for Media Representations of Autism Treatment

David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D, Carolyn J. Sniezyk, MS, BCBA, and Erin Leif, PhD, BCBA-D Association for Science in Autism Treatment Information about autism treatment conveyed in the media influences and impacts both parents and professionals alike. According to the Ethical Journalism Network, there are scores of codes and statements to guide journalists in their important…

Standing Up for Science on Parent Social Media

By Tara Palamarik (mother of a 21-year-old son with autism) and Aleta Murphy (sibling and graduate student, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) Today, social media is in many ways a lifesaver for families – we have become each other’s experts. Family members can ask questions about everyday struggles at any time of day…

Some media representations of autism across the lifespan

David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D, Eilis O’Connell, MA, BCBA, Preeti Chojar, MCA, and Smrithi Thyagarajan (Extern) Association for Science in Autism Treatment Each year as tens of thousands of children with autism turn 18, they and their families face an uncertain future due to changes in service delivery models, limited funding, and diminished services, supports, and…

Parent-mediated social communication therapy for young children with autism (PACT)

  Pickles, A., Le Couteur, A., Leadbitter, K., Salomone, E., Cole-Fletcher, R., Tobin, H., … Aldred, C. (2016). Parent-mediated social communication therapy for young children with autism (PACT): Long-term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. The Lancet, 388, 2501-2509. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31229-6 Reviewed by: Nicole A. Pantano Caldwell University Why research this topic? Few studies have looked…

Autism Treatment in the Media

By Daniel W. Mruzek, PhD, BCBA-D, ASAT Board Member The topic of treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has all the ingredients for a sensational media product: widespread public interest, fast-paced news cycle, potential for emotional appeal, and, of course, controversy. And, members of the media appear to recognize this. For example, my simple Google…

Interview with Dr. Stephen Barrett, Quackwatch Founder

Conducted by David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D President, Association for Science in Autism Treatment As many of our readers are aware pseudo-scientific treatments are not exclusive to autism. We had the opportunity to interview Dr. Stephen Barrett, M.D., a staunch advocate for science and a formidable opponent of quackery. Given Dr. Barrett’s longstanding efforts in these…

Supporting Positive Portrayals of Science-based Autism Treatment in the Media: The Role of Professionals

Effective communication with media outlets is potentially the greatest asset that we have in promoting a science-based approach to autism treatment. Each and every media contribution has the potential to reach thousands of consumers and service providers. In the interview below, the perspectives of several leaders in the field of autism treatment were solicited. A…