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Media Watch Letters
Source Dear Mr. Augenstein: Thank you for your story, “Apple iPad, iPod Touch Might Help People with Autism Take Steps toward Independence” (January 3, 2011). I want to commend you for balancing the potential utility of this technology to promote independence, while exercising caution that it is not a “magic bullet.” Equally important is…
Source Dear Ms. Sacks: Thank you for taking the time to help educate people about what it is like to have a child with autism in your article entitled “Swinging the Outcome” (http://www.contracostatimes.com/education/ci_16906297?nclick_check=1). We believe, however, that it is important for parents to be able to make informed decisions about interventions, and not rely…
Source Hats off to Melody McDonald for her article entitled, “Applied behavior analysis is autism treatment of choice, experts say” (November 27, 2010). Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is used successfully with many groups of people (not just persons with autism). However, particular ABA-based treatments, including early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) as discussed in Ms.…
Source October 27, 2010 Dear Ms. Shute, Thank you for your recent article in Scientific American: “Desperate for an Autism Cure” (October 2010). As behavior analysts, we have worked in the field of behavioral intervention for over 25 years combined, and have seen firsthand how parents are deceived by dubious “treatments” for autism. There…
Source Mr. Morganteen: We have been following this case for some time now. Although it has come to its conclusion within the court system, the impact of such crimes on these particular families is incomprehensible. When you entrust your child into the care of “professionals,” you should not have to worry about whether they are…
Source Dear Ms. Tsouderos: Parents of newly diagnosed children with autism seeking information on the Internet are bombarded by incredible claims associated with hundreds of treatments, most of which lack empirical support. What many of these treatments do not lack are proponents with an intense drive to maximize their profits – often at the expense…
Source I read with great interest your recent article about the state of services in New Brunswick (“N.B. Can Be a Leader in Autism Services,” September 14, 2010). I do beg to differ about the title of the piece. New Brunswick is already a leader. To have amassed 800 trained agents of change in…
Dear Mr. Tagami: Thank you sharing your important article, “Tech Hopes to Develop Early Warning Tools and Treatments for Autism” published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on August 20, 2010. The Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT) applauds the researchers at Georgia Tech School of Interactive Computing, Emory University, and the Marcus Autism Center for…
Source Dear Mr. Kaufman: The Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT) is committed to science as the most objective, time-tested and reliable approach to discerning between safe, effective autism treatments, and those that are harmful and/or ineffective. Our mission is to share accurate, scientifically sound information about autism and treatments for autism because…
Source Autism Speaks 1 East 33rd Street 4th Floor New York, NY 10016 Dear Colleagues, We appreciate the broad range of supports that your organization offers persons with autism and their families, including the opportunity for the community to post questions for your science team on your website. However, we wish to write an…
When on August 2nd, Dr. Ivar Lovaas passed away, the field of autism treatment and behavior analysis suffered a significant loss. Dr. Lovaas began his career when the psychoanalytic theory of autism was presumed valid, despite a grievous lack of supporting research. Flouting that unsubstantiated conventional wisdom, Dr. Lovaas changed the course of autism treatment…