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Media Watch Letters
Source Dear Ms. Falco: We are writing in response to your article, “CDC: Higher Number of Children with Autism” (March 30, 2013) with interest and commend your coverage of a critically important topic: the growing population of Americans diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We applaud you for your straightforward reporting of current…
Source Dear Editor: Your article, Parents Of Autistic Children Worry What Life Will Bring When They’re Adults (February 6, 2013), highlights the enormity of fears and complications that many parents and caregivers of adults with autism face. Our country is currently being confronted with a mounting crisis due to lack of resources such as funding and…
Source Dear Mr. Hannaford: Thank you for taking the time to weigh the evidence! In your article, “Autism Inc.: The Discredited Science, Shady Treatments and Rising Profits behind Alternative Autism Treatments” (January 30, 2013), you consider information gathered from various primary sources on all sorts of treatments, acknowledge that autism treatments have become a…
Source Dear Ms. Doyle: Thank you for your article which examined some initial research being conducted using parasitic worm eggs for treating the signs and symptoms of autism (“Study Looks at Worm Therapy to Treat Autism,” January 22, 2013). Your story depicts an excellent example of the scientific process for evaluating new or alternative…
Source Dear Editor: Thank you for your recent article in which you share the study by Fein and colleagues of the exciting claim that some children with autism may “recover completely” (“Some With Autism Diagnosis Can Overcome Symptoms, Study Finds,” January 16, 2013). Their study is the most thorough scientific investigation to date of…
Dear Editor: Your January 2, 2013 article brought attention to the growing numbers of children diagnosed with autism—and the struggles families face in locating and obtaining effective treatment services. It also highlighted the increasing role technology has played in therapeutic contexts, such as the use of MP3 players like iPods. The article stated that autism…
Source Dear Ms. Pittman: We want to thank you for your informative piece on the ineffectiveness of chelation therapy in children with autism–particularly its emphasis on the risks involved and the lack of scientific support (“Chelation Doesn’t Help Kids with Autism,” December 21, 2012). You accurately summarized the current status of chelation as an…
Source Dear Ms. Gilman: As individuals affiliated with the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT), we were eager to read your op-ed, “Don’t Blame Autism for Newtown.” The public is all too painfully aware that the shocking tragedy in Newtown, CT on December 14, 2012 resulted in the loss of 27 lives—including the…
Source Dear Ms. Keefe: With great interest, we read your article entitled, “Autistic Child Finds Comfort from Non-Traditional Therapy” (December 13, 2012), regarding reflexology’s supposed success in treating a child with autism. We appreciate your attention to this topic. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects an entire family as well as the individual, and often…
Source Thank you, Jordan Gass-Pooré, for your November 18, 2012 piece on sensory integration therapy (SIT). The Association for Science in Autism Treatment’s Media Watch initiative monitors mainstream media to identify published information about autism and autism treatment, and we provide critique where needed, as well as our praise to journalists writing objectively and…
Source Dear Mr. Drezner, It is a sad day when it takes a journalist to suggest to parents that administering bleach (via any orifice) to our children is not a good idea. In your article, “The Curious Case of Autism and MMS” (June 14, 2012), you showcase the dangers of pseudoscience and the unregulated…