| Support Real Science in Autism Treatment! |
Source Mr. Richardson, We read with interest your recent article, “Graduating to an Uncertain Fate” in the Portland Press Herald and applaud you for shedding light on the important topic of adults with autism. They are a clearly underrepresented segment of the autism community with respect to research, service delivery, funding, and even media attention. Sadly,…
Source Dear Ms. Lerner: Thank you for your recent article about autism treatment. This topic is an essential one, and as a society we do need to wrestle with important decisions about how to best allocate financial resources, particularly given the tough economic conditions facing our country. Important conversations about autism treatment are sidetracked…
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…
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…
Source Mr. LaMendola, I read with great concern your article, “Castration Drug Given to Kids as Autism Therapy.” I commend you for reporting that such a treatment is controversial and for acknowledging that the medical establishment does not condone the use of Lupron. As you indicated, children with autism are often subjected to a…
Source Mr. O’ Brien, Thank you for sharing this story and for informing your readers about the existing level of support for applied behavior analysis. Ireland’s Department of Education is making some dangerous and unfounded assumptions. Acting upon these assumptions will harm children, squelch progress, and lead to generations of soon-to-be-adults with autism who…
Source Dear Ms. Berlinger: Twenty-five years ago, I read a book about the Son-Rise Program® as part of an undergraduate psychology course. It was a compelling story. To date, there has not been a single study documenting the effectiveness of this method. This is not unique to Son-Rise Program. Autism treatment has become a…
Source Dear Ms. Hjalmarson: Thank you sharing this important story with your readers. We applaud the Highlands Center for Autism for making such a commitment to these precious children and for relying on objective data to guide efforts to help them realize their fullest potential. Of the dozens of treatments for autism, applied behavior analysis…
Source Dear Ms. Kelland: The Lancet can retract the 1998 article authored by Dr. Wakefield. Unfortunately, what cannot be retracted is the impact this article has had on promulgating misinformation about the cause of autism, increasing the number of unvaccinated children, and creating a media frenzy that allowed celebrities to be accepted as experts…