Here is an example of how politics interferes with scientific debate in N. Ireland. The letter below was sent to a leading politician but there has never been a response.
Leading Experts Concerned About
Maginnis Review of Autism Services
The Peat Charity (the only parent-led charity in N. Ireland that promotes ABA) was never consulted on the so called 'Independent Review of Autism Services'
commissioned by the Minister for Health. We are glad to see that truly independent experts are now questioning the content of this review. The following letter was sent to Lord Maginnis (who chaired the review) on 20 August 2008:
Dear Lord Maginnis:
The undersigned members of Behaviorists for Social Responsibility, an international group of behavior scientists committed to advancing human rights, have had the opportunity to review the recent Independent Review of Autism Services commissioned by the Minister of Health for Northern Ireland. We want to congratulate you on this thorough work, which demonstrates a genuine commitment to quality services for persons across the autism spectrum and across the life span. Persons struggling with autism spectrum disorders constitute a population whose basic human rights to education and treatment have often been unrecognized or neglected.
The emphasis within the independent review on developing a comprehensive system of care and support could go a long way toward addressing this situation. In examining the Independent Review, however, we are concerned about certain mischaracterizations in the description of the science of behavior analysis, which is in many areas the state of the art in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Such inaccuracies could have a detrimental impact on decision-making regarding financial investment for service delivery, and thereby on ensuring the most effective available treatment for a group that is commonly unable to advocate for themselves.
There are two areas of particular concern. The first is the exclusive emphasis on Skinner's work in discussing applied behavior analysis. While his experimental work from the 1930's through the 1960's was seminal to the development of the science of behavior analysis, critical
advances over the past several decades have taken the science deeply into the areas of cognition, emotion, language, human relationships, as well as contextual dimensions. The current state of the science cannot accurately be characterized as "training" (as is done in the review). Behavior analytic research has clarified that the individual, and individual behaviour, can only be understood within that person's unique current and historical contextual circumstances. As such, behavior analysis, perhaps more so than any other approach, values and appreciates the individual, his/her unique characteristics, and his or her unique world.
Clearly such a perspective does not assume that "we all learn in the same way," or that "any individual factors could be overridden" (as stated in the review). Like all science, behaviour analysis does of course search for generalizable principles, but individualizing functional
analysis is in fact central to applied behavior analysis. In addition, behavior analysis and neuroscience in recent years have formed important partnerships.
The second area of concern is the statement "ABA cannot be said to address ASD [Autism Spectrum Disorders], because it does not recognize it as important," and related discussion suggesting that applied behavior analysis is not a treatment for these disorders, but rather has utility only for training related to certain isolated behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorders. ABA is, in fact, a primary evidence-based treatment for autism, and for that reason is perhaps the most widely accepted current treatment in the US, with demonstrated utility in the areas of language and communication, social integration, social and emotional understanding, self-injury, and flexibility of thinking and behavior (see the Association for Science in Autism Treatment website: www.asatonline.org). Its record in these areas is certainly as strong or stronger than any other currently available treatment for autism spectrum disorders.
We therefore strongly urge you to seek informed, impartial reviews of the misrepresentations hat the human rights of this population and their families are not compromised. If requested, we would happy to suggest names of individuals who could assist in such an independent review. Thank you for your attention, and for your demonstrated commitment to the welfare of those persons struggling with autism spectrum disorders.
Sincerely Yours,
Mark A. Mattaini, DSW, Co-Chair (University of Illinois at Chicago, MC 309, 1040 W. Harrison,
Chicago, IL 60607, USA)
Richard F. Rakos, PhD, Co-Chair (Associate Dean, College of Sciences and Health
Professions, Cleveland State University)
Paul Brandon, PhD (Minnesota State University)
Jenny Fischer, MS (Oregon Association for Behavior Analysis)
Charles Lyons, PhD (Easter Oregon University)
Janet Twyman, PhD (Past President of the Association for Behavior Analysis
International, Associate Prof., Dept. of Pediatrics, University of
Massachusetts Medical School)
Jack Marr, PhD (Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Georgia Institute of
Technology)
Joao Claudio Todorov, PhD (Prof. University of Brasília)
Anthony Biglan, PhD (Director, Center for Community Interventions on Childrearing,
Oregon Research Institute)
Sarah Moore, PhD (University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Department of Psychology)
Adam Doughty, PhD (Assistant Prof. Dept. of Psychology, College of Charleston)
Todd Ward, MS (University of Nevada)
Stephen Eversole, Ed.D. (Behavior Development Solutions)
Lewis Lipsitt, PhD (Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Medical Science and Human
Development, Brown University)
Nancy Hemmes, PhD (Queens College and Graduate Center of the City University of New
York, CUNY)
Mickey Keenan, PhD (Fellow of the BPS, Distinguished Community Fellow and Senior
Lecturer, Univeristy of Ulster)
Bridget Taylor, PsyD (Executive Director of Alpine Learning Group)
Erick Dubuque, MA (University of Nevada)
Tesa Sansbury BCBA (Positive Behavior Support Co., Florida)
Patty Polster, MS (Adjunct Professor, Saint Louis University)
Robin Rumph, PhD (Stephen F. Austin State University)
Joshua Pritchard, MA (Faculty in Applied Behavior Analysis Department, Florida
Institute of Technology)
Jerry Ulman, PhD (Department of Special Education, Ball State University)
Raquel Alo, PhD (Pós doutoranda at Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil)
Joseph Morrow, PhD (Professor of Psychology and Behavior Analysis at California
State University, Sacramento (CSUS))
Patrick S Williams, PhD (Associate VP for Institutional Effectiveness at University of
Houston-Downtown)
Susan M. Schneider, PhD (Adjunct Professor and Visiting Scholar Department of Psychology,
University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA)
Caio Miguel, PhD (Western Michigan University)
Leading Experts Concerned About
Maginnis Review of Autism Services
The Peat Charity (the only parent-led charity in N. Ireland that promotes ABA) was never consulted on the so called 'Independent Review of Autism Services'
commissioned by the Minister for Health. We are glad to see that truly independent experts are now questioning the content of this review. The following letter was sent to Lord Maginnis (who chaired the review) on 20 August 2008:
Dear Lord Maginnis:
The undersigned members of Behaviorists for Social Responsibility, an international group of behavior scientists committed to advancing human rights, have had the opportunity to review the recent Independent Review of Autism Services commissioned by the Minister of Health for Northern Ireland. We want to congratulate you on this thorough work, which demonstrates a genuine commitment to quality services for persons across the autism spectrum and across the life span. Persons struggling with autism spectrum disorders constitute a population whose basic human rights to education and treatment have often been unrecognized or neglected.
The emphasis within the independent review on developing a comprehensive system of care and support could go a long way toward addressing this situation. In examining the Independent Review, however, we are concerned about certain mischaracterizations in the description of the science of behavior analysis, which is in many areas the state of the art in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Such inaccuracies could have a detrimental impact on decision-making regarding financial investment for service delivery, and thereby on ensuring the most effective available treatment for a group that is commonly unable to advocate for themselves.
There are two areas of particular concern. The first is the exclusive emphasis on Skinner's work in discussing applied behavior analysis. While his experimental work from the 1930's through the 1960's was seminal to the development of the science of behavior analysis, critical
advances over the past several decades have taken the science deeply into the areas of cognition, emotion, language, human relationships, as well as contextual dimensions. The current state of the science cannot accurately be characterized as "training" (as is done in the review). Behavior analytic research has clarified that the individual, and individual behaviour, can only be understood within that person's unique current and historical contextual circumstances. As such, behavior analysis, perhaps more so than any other approach, values and appreciates the individual, his/her unique characteristics, and his or her unique world.
Clearly such a perspective does not assume that "we all learn in the same way," or that "any individual factors could be overridden" (as stated in the review). Like all science, behaviour analysis does of course search for generalizable principles, but individualizing functional
analysis is in fact central to applied behavior analysis. In addition, behavior analysis and neuroscience in recent years have formed important partnerships.
The second area of concern is the statement "ABA cannot be said to address ASD [Autism Spectrum Disorders], because it does not recognize it as important," and related discussion suggesting that applied behavior analysis is not a treatment for these disorders, but rather has utility only for training related to certain isolated behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorders. ABA is, in fact, a primary evidence-based treatment for autism, and for that reason is perhaps the most widely accepted current treatment in the US, with demonstrated utility in the areas of language and communication, social integration, social and emotional understanding, self-injury, and flexibility of thinking and behavior (see the Association for Science in Autism Treatment website: www.asatonline.org). Its record in these areas is certainly as strong or stronger than any other currently available treatment for autism spectrum disorders.
We therefore strongly urge you to seek informed, impartial reviews of the misrepresentations hat the human rights of this population and their families are not compromised. If requested, we would happy to suggest names of individuals who could assist in such an independent review. Thank you for your attention, and for your demonstrated commitment to the welfare of those persons struggling with autism spectrum disorders.
Sincerely Yours,
Mark A. Mattaini, DSW, Co-Chair (University of Illinois at Chicago, MC 309, 1040 W. Harrison,
Chicago, IL 60607, USA)
Richard F. Rakos, PhD, Co-Chair (Associate Dean, College of Sciences and Health
Professions, Cleveland State University)
Paul Brandon, PhD (Minnesota State University)
Jenny Fischer, MS (Oregon Association for Behavior Analysis)
Charles Lyons, PhD (Easter Oregon University)
Janet Twyman, PhD (Past President of the Association for Behavior Analysis
International, Associate Prof., Dept. of Pediatrics, University of
Massachusetts Medical School)
Jack Marr, PhD (Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Georgia Institute of
Technology)
Joao Claudio Todorov, PhD (Prof. University of Brasília)
Anthony Biglan, PhD (Director, Center for Community Interventions on Childrearing,
Oregon Research Institute)
Sarah Moore, PhD (University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Department of Psychology)
Adam Doughty, PhD (Assistant Prof. Dept. of Psychology, College of Charleston)
Todd Ward, MS (University of Nevada)
Stephen Eversole, Ed.D. (Behavior Development Solutions)
Lewis Lipsitt, PhD (Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Medical Science and Human
Development, Brown University)
Nancy Hemmes, PhD (Queens College and Graduate Center of the City University of New
York, CUNY)
Mickey Keenan, PhD (Fellow of the BPS, Distinguished Community Fellow and Senior
Lecturer, Univeristy of Ulster)
Bridget Taylor, PsyD (Executive Director of Alpine Learning Group)
Erick Dubuque, MA (University of Nevada)
Tesa Sansbury BCBA (Positive Behavior Support Co., Florida)
Patty Polster, MS (Adjunct Professor, Saint Louis University)
Robin Rumph, PhD (Stephen F. Austin State University)
Joshua Pritchard, MA (Faculty in Applied Behavior Analysis Department, Florida
Institute of Technology)
Jerry Ulman, PhD (Department of Special Education, Ball State University)
Raquel Alo, PhD (Pós doutoranda at Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil)
Joseph Morrow, PhD (Professor of Psychology and Behavior Analysis at California
State University, Sacramento (CSUS))
Patrick S Williams, PhD (Associate VP for Institutional Effectiveness at University of
Houston-Downtown)
Susan M. Schneider, PhD (Adjunct Professor and Visiting Scholar Department of Psychology,
University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA)
Caio Miguel, PhD (Western Michigan University)