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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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 Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 10:31 pm Post subject: Time, autism, and facilitated communication |
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I always thought this notion of facilitated communication was driven back to the fringes but Time magazine seems to have resurrected it. Thanks, guys! You're going to cause thousands of parents chase after false hopes.
Although it has a fancy name, basically what you got is retarded kids who can't communicate. Suddenly someone takes their hand, bashes their finger onto a keyboard (claiming to read their hand movements), and, oh goodness, the retarded child with a previously assessed IQ of 70 is typing out poetry and "mommy, I love you". And reporting child abuse.
When they do controlled tests, the communication disappears. There are a lot of simple tests you can do. For example, the person bashing the kid's finger into the keyboard leaves the room. The retarded kid is shown a picture and a word. The finger basher comes back into the room. Oddly, the retarded kid can't report what he saw. Odd. Very odd.
Why does such a junk science persist when there are iron clad tests that utterly fail? Hope. Parents are led down a primrose path thinking their kid can quote Shakespeare. It's very sad.
Fortunately, autistic groups like this have some sane words.
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| Gina Green, director of research at the New England Centre of Autism, has previously likened the method to the use of "dowsing sticks and the ouija board". |
Here's a really horrible quote from the Time article:
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| During the silent years, it seems, Hannah was soaking up vast storehouses of information. The girl without language had an extensive vocabulary, a sense of humor and some unusual gifts. One day, when Jacob presented her with a page of 30 or so math problems, Hannah took one look, then typed all 30 answers. Stunned, Jacob asked, "Do you have a photographic memory?" Hannah typed "Yes." |
Not only is there no evidence for FC, but there's no evidence that such a thing as a "photographic memory" exists. If that's your explanation why a retarded girl can whip through 30 math problems after the girl (and presumably not the finger basher) took one look, then, geez, there's no talking to you. |
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Manner of Speaking
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 1:55 am Post subject: |
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I only read a few paragraphs of the article, but it is downright bizarre. I remember all the controversy around "Facilitated Communication" 15 or so years ago, how it was a huge new cottage industry for so-called "communication therapists", and how it was demonstratively proven to be bunk.
It's bizarre that TIME would revive it.  |
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jaganath69
Joined: 17 Jul 2003
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| Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 2:27 am Post subject: |
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| Manner of Speaking wrote: |
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It's bizarre that TIME would revive it. |
Bizzare that a magazine whose previous leaders have included "The Age of Angels" would print such bunk? |
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