Chante Stoeckley, MEd, BCBA, LBA
Association for Science in Autism Treatment
Jane Asher
Jane Asher, an English actress known for movies such as Alfie, Deep End, and The Mask of the Red Death, is also an ardent supporter of the autism community, and she is on the Professional Advisory Board at ASAT. In this series of public service announcements, she discusses the difficulty of choosing effective interventions, showcases what ASAT offers families, and provides valuable recommendations for anyone looking for effective ways to help a child with autism. Below you will find quick descriptions of each PSA with their unique link. Following that, we showcase our informative interview in which Ms. Asher shares more about her life and involvement in the autism community.
In this 3 minute clip, ASAT Helps Parents Facing an Autism Diagnosis, Ms. Asher discusses the challenges facing parents of newly diagnosed children with autism, including the myriad of snake oil and “wishful thinking” treatments, and introduces the listener to the work of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment. She discusses the challenges facing parents of newly diagnosed children with autism, including the myriad of snake oil and “wishful thinking” treatments, and introduces the listener to the work of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment.
In this engaging introduction to ASAT, ASAT Provides Quality Resources for the Autism Community, she describes the need for accurate information about autism and highlights the many resources we have to offer, including treatment summaries, Media Watch, and the monthly newsletter, Science in Autism Treatment.
Not only is Ms. Asher incredibly accomplished as an actress, author, and cake decorator, she is a knowledgeable and thoughtful advocate for children with autism. In this video, ASAT Offers Suggestions for Keeping Science at the Forefront, she emphasizes the wasteful effects of using ineffective interventions, and shares five considerations to guide any and all decisions about autism treatment, starting with a warning against one-size-fits-all approaches.
Now for some Jane Asher trivia:
- What significance does a children’s tea party play in her life?
- Which famous neurologist and author, known for a book about the clinical histories of his patients including a child with autism, was the student of Ms. Asher’s father, Dr. Richard Asher?
- Of what three charitable organizations was she the President?
The answers to these questions can be found in this Interview with Jane Asher, conducted by David Celiberti in 2013. In addition to the answers to these questions, Ms. Asher discusses her history with the autism community, her opinion about unsubstantiated treatments, such as “channeling energy fields,” and her thoughts on how to increase reliance on scientific interventions. Her candid answers about these and many more topics are interesting and maintain lasting relevance.
Combined, this media series is a quick, high-quality, accessible introduction to the issues involved in choosing evidence-based interventions for a child with autism. Please share them with anyone who might be touched by autism: families, professionals, and community members. Thank you for this wonderful public service announcement, Jane Asher!
Citation for this article:
Stoeckley, C. (2020). Jane Asher: Actress, philanthropist, supporter of science, Science in Autism Treatment, 17(5).
