Dear Mr. Perry:
Thank you for bringing attention to the outrageous and potentially dangerous message that Jenny McCarthy brings to the public conversation on autism. In your CNN article titled, “Jenny McCarthy and Fear-Based Parenting” (July 17, 2013), you highlight the misinformation that Ms. McCarthy continues to share regarding effective and empirically supported autism interventions. She may now have a world stage as host of ABC’s The View, and taking on this role underscores the importance of ensuring that Ms. McCarthy disseminates an accurate message to the public about the causes and treatment of autism.
Parents and practitioners are bombarded with pseudo-scientific treatments and fad interventions. An Internet search of “autism intervention” yields over 2.2 million results, which makes it incredibly difficult for parents to separate science-based treatments from fad treatments and clever marketing schemes. Sadly, Ms. McCarthy uses her celebrity status to propagate false information to the exclusion of educating families about scientifically supported treatment options. We applaud you for bringing this disappointing situation to light and appreciate your efforts toward promoting science-based treatment (i.e., treatment that has been repeatedly shown in experimental research conducted by independent researchers to effectively improve measurable outcomes).
The Association for Science in Autism Treatment is an organization committed to disseminating information about science-based autism treatment. Please do not hesitate to use our freely available resources at https://www.asatonline.org/.
Respectfully submitted,
Lauren Schnell M.Ed., BCBA
Florence D. DiGennaro Reed Ph.D., BCBA-D
Association for Science in Autism Treatment
