Kathryn Daly, MA, BCBA, LBA and David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D
Association for Science in Autism Treatment
We are living in a time when consumers can access an ever-increasing amount of information easily and rapidly and this observation is certainly not limited to the treatment of autism. Unfortunately, much of this information is not vetted through the lens of science (i.e., guided by existing published research and relying on the scientific method to both assess merit and appropriate causal relationships). Therefore, individuals can be led to waste time, effort, and money on products or services that are ineffective, or that may even cause harm.
Although there are many organizations within the autism community that share our support of science and evidence-based treatment, we compiled this particular piece to highlight organizations outside of autism that reflect this same commitment to science. What follows is an annotated, but non-exhaustive, list that includes a brief overview of these organizations, with several sub-links to specific articles on their respective websites.. We hope that the details we share below will give you each the information you need to choose which sites you would like to explore further.
Organizations Offering Services:
Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science
Founded by Alan Alda, actor and host of the PBS show Scientific American Frontiers, the mission of the Alda Center is to “advance science and medicine through training in clear and vivid communication.” The center knows that science effects all people all of the time, but that communicating scientific ideas through jargon and overly technical terms can lead to misunderstandings and lack of trust in scientific information and sources. The Alda Center, in collaboration with Stony Brook University, offers graduate training including classes, certificate programs, and an MS in Science Communication. They also offer various professional development trainings. Through their foundation, the Alda-Kabul Learning Center, they also offer free recorded webinars and podcasts. Their dedication to the dissemination of science is clear in their slogan, “Scientific understanding is too important to leave to chance.”
Whether we take the time to consider it or not, science affects our everyday lives in countless ways. For this reason, it is especially important that public policy be driven by scientific understanding and evidence-based procedures. Sense About Science is a charity organization that works to bridge the gap between researchers and policymakers such as government officials and community groups. The organization has launched several important campaigns including Ask for Evidence, which challenges individuals to seek out evidence supporting claims; All Trials, which calls for data from all conducted clinical trials to be reported for transparency; and Transparency Matters, which urges private citizens to push their government officials for greater clarity and honesty in reporting evidence. The organization has also published an infographic explaining the publishing and peer review process in scientific reporting.
The Skeptics Society & Skeptic magazine
Skepticism is the application of reason to ideas. Founded by Dr. Michael Shermer, The Skeptics Society (TSS) seeks to engage with those investigating phenomena including the paranormal and pseudoscience, and to promote critical thinking and scientific evidence. TSS offers a magazine, a Junior Skeptic magazine, an eReader, a series of conversations with Dr. Shermer called Science Salon, geology and natural history tours, and Skepticism 101, a curriculum resource center. TSS also offers opportunities to get involved in the community of skeptics. Skeptical activists help to expose and fight fraud and pseudoscience, and contribute to Skepticism 101.
The James Randi Educational Foundation
The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) was founded in 1996 by renowned magician, James Randi. The Foundation was established in response to myriad unsubstantiated paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. Up until James Randi’s death in 2020, JREF offered a million-dollar reward for anyone who can produce evidence of paranormal abilities under controlled conditions. The prize remained unclaimed despite countless failed attempts to demonstrate such abilities. In an effort to promote critical thinking skills. JREF has worked tirelessly at promoting science appreciation and the careful examination of unproven claims. Check out their video library, educational modules, and e-books and publications. Readers may be interested in a free 10-lecture course on Science-Based Medicine by Dr. Harriet Hall available on YouTube with a companion course guide. Topics include: Science-Based Medicine vs. Evidence-Based Medicine, What Is CAM?, Chiropractic Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine, Energy Medicine, Miscellaneous “Alternatives,” Pitfalls in Research, and Science-Based Medicine in the Media and Politics.
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
AAAS is an organization which seeks to “advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people” through a membership-based society and publication of six different peer-reviewed journals. AAAS focuses on advocating for evidence in policy making, disseminating STEM career opportunities, and analyzing the federal science budget among other projects. Events offered by AAAS include lectures, workshops, and career fairs. Membership in AAAS is open to all individuals and affords members with access to a community of scientists with passion for, and expertise in, various areas such as climate change, space exploration, and vaccines. Members also receive access to Science Magazine.
Evidence-Based Practice Society
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) society is a community of professionals from across a wide variety of professions, who come together to access resources. This organization seeks to assist with staff education through a certification program targeting individual practitioners, leadership, and entire organizations. Conferences and webinars are also offered. EBP Society focuses on education within the fields of health, human, social, and justice service fields. The July newsletter features pieces on topics as diverse as youth justice reform, suicide prevention, and productivity.
Blog-based Organizations:
We at ASAT know that pseudoscience is a pervasive barrier to the effective treatment of autism. However, pseudoscience also presents a significant challenge to other scientific disciplines, specifically medicine. Stephen Barrett, M.D. operates this website whose purpose is to provide “quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere.” The site compiles articles on debunking pseudoscience, investigates claims, and distributes reliable publications. Quackwatch also offers a discussion board for members and a free weekly newsletter. Several dozen sub-sites have developed from the Quackwatch model, based on specific treatments, medical conditions, and other health and research related issues. Interesting links on Quackwatch include an Autism Watch category, an article on distinguishing science and pseudoscience, and an article listing the seven warning signs of “bogus science.”
The chronicle flask is a blog operated by Dr. Kat Day, who holds a PhD in chemistry. She writes that over time, her blog began to take on a more “skeptical tone,” addressing inaccurate representations of science related to chemicals. Blog posts are published monthly and address chemicals used in everyday life, the chemistry behind natural phenomena, and chemical makeup of products, foods, and medications. Additionally, Dr. Day has authored several posts regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, including pieces about cures and vaccinations. Blog posts to note include an article about chemistry in the media, and a review of Alkaline Diets (referred to in the post as “dodgy science”).
Moving away from written media, Skeptoid is a podcast released weekly by Brian Dunning. Skeptoid strives to disseminate the scientific information behind four different types of pseudosciences: consumer frauds, urban legends, alternative medicine, and conspiracy theories. Dunning, the host, is a computer scientist who sought a forum for respectful discussion about rational, evidence-based explanations for phenomena. Not finding an outlet to suit his needs, he developed this podcast. Episodes to check out include discussions on topics as diverse as head transplants, space junk, and CBD.
The NeuroLogica blog is hosted by Dr. Steven Novella, a clinical neurologist from Yale University, School of Medicine. He is the President and co-founder of a non-profit educational organization called the New England Skeptical Society (NESS) which was founded in 1996 to educate the public about the principles and necessity of skepticism and critical thinking in our society, and to promote higher standards of education. Aside from creating a forum for skeptics, NESS hosts a popular weekly science podcast called The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe. Although the NeuroLogica blog primarily features news and information about neuroscience, well written articles related to scientific skepticism and critical thinking are widely shared. In fact, Dr. Shravanthi Chidambaram recently wrote about this blog in a recent article for Science in Autism Treatment where she highlighted several specific articles, on a wide array of topics, that may be of interest to SIAT readers.
Center for Scientific Integrity
The Center for Scientific Integrity is the parent organization of Retraction Watch. This organization seeks to increase openness and transparency in scientific research and publishing. Retraction Watch is a blog launched in 2010 in response to the observation that scientific retractions were often unannounced and that the influence of these articles continued on despite retraction. Furthermore, its bloggers, Ivan Oransky and Adam Marcus, educate the public about reasons underlying retractions (including cases of scientific fraud) and seek to share information about how science self-corrects. Their database is available to scientists, as well as members of the public, who are interested in learning more about specific instances of retraction or looking at global themes and patterns. The enduring impact of retracted research, that motivated the work of these bloggers, occasioned both our Perspectives article, as well as an installment of Science Corner.
Anecdotal evidence and claims about holistic and alternative medicine are becoming ever more pervasive today, especially with the use of social media to spread ideas quickly. Science-Based Medicine (SBM) is an organization dedicated to evaluating treatments and medical products, such as medications and supplements, to determine their effectiveness and, more importantly, their safety. SBM consists of blog posts submitted by writers, regardless of credentials, however all posts are screened by MDs to ensure a high degree of scientific rigor. Recent and interesting posts include, The Causes of Vaccine Hesitancy, Artificial Intelligence and Science-Based Medicine, and The Deadly Coronavirus Spike Protein. They also have specific categories for clinical trials and book and movie reviews.
Readers of Science in Autism Treatment will recognize the format of the website Mental Daily for its similarity to our library of Research Synopses. This organization is dedicated to posting in blog format, summaries of recent psychological research. Posts are split into several categories: clinical, health, society, business, cybernetics, and opinion. The website also posts links to various mental health organizations including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Notable and interesting recent articles include pieces on Digital CBT, ridesharing and sexual assault, social media and climate change, and links between mask wearing and anxiety
Stuart Vyse | Psychologist & Writer
Dr. Stuart Vyse is a psychologist, speaker, and author whose long career has included a focus on critical thinking and the formation of superstitious beliefs. He is the author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition (Oxford, 2014) and Superstition: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2020). He is an editor for Skeptical Inquirer and shares his expertise as part of his Behavior & Belief column. He has published many articles related to autism treatment and is a contributor of content for facilitatedcommunication.org that carefully lays out significant concerns about this approach. Aside from seeing information about his many books, visitors to his website will find a vast collection of essays, a Ted Ed talk on the origins of superstitions, and other presentations.
Final Thoughts
Because the sheer volume of information we easily and rapidly consume can be overwhelming, we must be cautious about the time and energy we spend on non-scientific websites. Whether we are researching information about autism, any other health-related issue, or looking for factual content for other areas in our lives, we must be sure that we aren’t falling prey to misinformation or embedded marketing. We can help ourselves and our families to be good consumers (and stewards) of information while also protecting ourselves from wasting time, energy, and money on information or products that are ineffective – or that may even be harmful. Although this list was not exhaustive, our aim has been to provide our readership with links to organizations that share our commitment to science so that our readers, when attending to issues related to autism or any other aspects of their lives, may begin their searches with evidence-based information and continue to #standwithscience.
Citation for this article:
Daly, K., & Celiberti, D. (2021). It takes a village to stand for science: Showcasing some allies Science in Autism Treatment, 18(12).
ASAT Reviews
- Ten resources for consumers to evaluate information sources
- Article Review: Training practitioners to evaluate evidence about interventions
- Article Review: Countering evidence denial and the promotion of pseudoscience in autism spectrum disorder
- Article Review: How to spot hype in the field of psychotherapy: A 19-Item checklist and what It means for the autism community
- Article Review: Why many clinical psychologists are resistant to evidence-based practice: Root causes and constructive remedies
- Article Review: Scott Lilienfeld: A collection of three commentaries
- Book Review: Do you believe in magic?
- Research Synopsis: The persistence of fad interventions in the face of negative scientific evidence: Facilitated Communication for autism as a case example
- Blog Review: Shining a spotlight on the Neurologica Blog: The importance of data-based science
Other Related ASAT Articles:
- Evaluations of scientific evidence need to be based on scientific approaches
- ASD Intervention: How do we measure effectiveness?
- Evaluating research
- Science, pseudoscience and antiscience
- Standing up for science on parent social media
- Can scientists prove that a treatment does not work?
- Clinical Corner: Explaining decision to use science-based autism treatments
- Clinical Corner: Ethics and evidence-based practice
- Smart people believe weird things
- What is evidence-based practice and why should we care?
- Determining the effectiveness of treatments available to persons with autism – Part One
- Determining the effectiveness of treatments available to persons with autism – Part Two
- “Verification” and the peer review process
- Becoming a savvy consumer/educator
- Interventions for individuals on the autism spectrum and how best to evaluate their effectiveness
- Making sense of autism treatments: Weighing the evidence
Related Media Watch Letters:
- Media Watch: ASAT responds to Psychology Today’s 3 Ways that pseudoscientific therapies can be harmful
- Media Watch: ASAT responds to Texas Observer’s Autism Inc.The discredited science, shady treatments and rising profits behind alternative autism treatments
- Media Watch: ASAT responds to Discover Autism’s A wide range of therapy programs’ article
