Dubious Treatments
I remember the first person with autism that I spent a lot of time with. He was amazing. He looked perfectly normal but had such uncontrollable behavior that he wound up being placed outside his parent's home. His parents told me that he could communicate using a method known as facilitated communication. They did not demonstrate it but told me all about how well he communicated using the system in which the parent supported his hand while he touched letters on an alphabet board. They told me he answered questions, told them how he felt, made food choices, and made statements using the method. I asked them to show me how to do it, which they were glad to do. I tried it out with the person later and was disappointed with the results. His parents explained my failure but not to my skeptical satisfaction. I decided to do some research and found two differing opinions on facilitated communication (FC). In fact, the opinions differed so much that it reminded me of the difference between believers and non-believers in a religion. I concluded that it was a similar thing at play here with FC. Belief in the method seemed to be the determining factor in whether it worked or not. The proponents of FC have a religious fervor that drives them to preach the benefits of the method and to curse those who dare question the validity of it. Those who dispute the claims of FC do so with scientific methods and are typically those who looked into FC, initially, hopeful that it worked (like me) but decided to put it to the test. Rather than decide for you, I will present both sides of each "Dubious Treatment" (starting with FC) and then let you decide for yourself.
Dubious Treatments Links:
Galia: Messages from Heaven "Communication of a Brain-Damaged Child About the Divine Plan for Our Time Though F.C." - Sorry to use such an outrageous example for the Pro-FC side but I just could not help myself. The claims by this mother are so far out and her "proofs" that it works are ridiculous, at best. Galia is an Israeli child with brain damage that apparently uses FC to communicate the thoughts of her mother's deceased grandmother to the world. Somehow she missed the prohibition in Deuteronomy 18:10 with regard to communicating with the dead.
Facilitated Communication: Mental Miracle or Sleight of Hand? This excellent article by Gina Green, Ph.D. describes both sides of facilitated communication. In this excerpt, she describes the odd way some children with autism use FC: "Even with the autistic child looking elsewhere, or not looking at all (eyes closed), the hand is still rapidly pecking out letters as if it were a miracle. Unfortunately there are no miracles in mental health. All of us wish FC were true, but the facts simply do not allow scientists and critical thinkers to replace knowledge with wish."
Where is the child looking? Where is the "facilitator" looking?
Patterning - Click to see both sides of The Doman-Delacato Treatment method.
Reiki - Some treatments are merely dubious but some are downright dangerous. Reiki involves "healing" people with your inner "life force energy". While Christians may, indeed, lay hands on people, it is done in the name of Jesus and people are healed by His power, not ours. Please be careful with this form of "treatment" that is gaining popularity among persons desperate for help with their child's autism. Seek God's help - He and only He can heal!
More to come!
Disclaimer: The author of this web site is not a physician. Do not make any decisions with regard to your child's treatment without first consulting your child's physician. The author of this web site makes no positive or negative claims about any of the web sites linked here. This information is provided for your education only.
