re: What interesting rhetoric.

Indeed interesting

re: We should all chafe the sound of a graduate of Harvard Law School casting aspersions on the honest work of someone [a paid expert witness] coming to the aid of accused defendants in an American courtroom. It does not matter if those defendants are accused of littering or of the most heinous sexual crimes. It does not matter if those defendants actually did the thing or not. An adequate defense is not only a right under the U.S. Constitution, but an absolute necessity if we are going to even begin approach a balance between the massive power of the state and often very limited resources of the accused individual. Nothing reminds us of the disparity of power I speak of like seeing a defendant, technically said to be innocent, jailed without bond, transported to hearings in shackles and dressed in embarrassing coveralls, deprived of income, limited in contact with friends, loved ones, and counsel, completely powerless to do anything similar to those who have brought the charges. Such was the case in Michigan FC matter last year. [for context see todd post]

COMMENT

OTOH perhaps…

We should all chafe the sound of an arrogant PhD behaviorist casting aspersions on the honest work of parents (what do they know compared to todd-etals) coming to the aid of those condemned lifetimes of silence in bettelheims empty fortress.

It does matter untold thousands are condemned to life times of silence by tood-etals.

An adequate means of communications is not only a right under the U.S. Constitution, but an absolute necessity if we are going to even begin approach a balance between the massive power of the state and often very limited resources of the individual with special needs…ie, freedom and justice for all.

Nothing reminds us of the disparity of power I speak of like seeing those on the spectrum (and all w/ special needs) being, by myopic behaviorist, denied their right to communicate…transported to hearings (tests) in mental shackles and dressed in embarrassing coverall labels, deprived of income, limited in contact with friends, loved ones, and counsel, completely powerless to do anything similar to those who deny them a means to communicate…charged with incompetence, disability, retarded.

Such was/is the case of untold thousands on the spectrum over the decades.

And/oh/btw…speaking of the range of crimes from littering to the most heinous sexual crimes…wonder whats tood-etals position is on the torture performed by the arch behaviorist at JRC…do they condemn torture with the same vitriol (it does not work) as they do FC…

There is a ring at the bottom…hope there is justice…

stanley seigler

not all behaviorists…some are FCers at heart…the ones todd says have been tricked by “amazing feats, college degrees, scripts, awards of FC Stars and abounding testimonials”... (see previous todd post to this blog)...ie;

the stupid fools, so easily tricked by the likes of a petulant third grader.

stanley seigler

re: I can only re-iterate the points I have raised. I have never suffered at the hands of typing or fc but I certainly suffered at the hands of behaviour modification and segregation. As I stated none/or very few of the children at either schools I attended went on to higher things.

COMMENT
the todd-etals (FC doesn’t work behaviorists who call it snake oil) are on the wrong side of history…in company with the flat-earthers, the lobotomisters, bettelheimers…and;

for behaviorists who only make $10-$12 per hr (per todd) to maintain these rates (or maintain a lucrative livelihood) it would behoove them to incorporate a form of FC into their programs…the behaviorists with open minds and some vision have…

as a minimum, todd-etals should consider the approach of a respected PhD psychologist: “I adore Doug Biklen. I’m not very sure of FC, but if parents want to assist their child that way and it is not harmful, who am I to decide differently? Best of all, FC has gotten more interest in things like language devices and computer use – and that’s great!”

and/oh/btw, JRC’s Israel, the ultimate behaviorist, makes around $400,000 per (see MJ article)...no “venal pecuniary motives” here…wonder if israel’s wife (JRC’s sister, tobinworld in CA) works for $10/hr.

Perhaps with more open minded attitudes and research re the innate ability some/many (most/all?) on the spectrum have to learn w/o formal education, as mentioned: terms like “todd-etals” and “petulant third grader” will be eliminated …and then;

combinations of behavioral and FC type programs can be devised…and maybe one day FAPE will be SOP…hope springs

stanley seigler

I do not buy into the ‘disability’ theory I spent
too many years in special education and witnessed the destruction caused by ‘disability labels’ to wish to be part of it. I refuse to be ‘labelled’. If other people wish to use the term ‘autistic’ to refer to themselves that is their choice
but I crushed everything I saw as ‘autistic’ into the ground.
As I said I do not identify with it.

Richard

I own Autism, the word does not belong to one side at all and those of us who run from it are those who are internally oppressed by others ideologies not our own.

Ever hear the term “temprorarily able bodied” that is the true human condition as you get older you wear out, some of us faster than others, some of us depending on what we started out with.

So What

To Deny the disability concept is actually to buy into the negative less than perspective.

Unfortunately my parents were not even aware that the school had a behaviour modification program at the time of my entry to
the school. And once they realised they removed me from the
school.

I always try to make the point when using the word ‘autistic’
that I perceive it as a ‘disability label’. I also make it
clear that I do not identify with the word and do not consider
myself to be part of a disability concept. And I adhere to
the same rule for others in that I consider they deserve the
same respect. I feel the only way forward for people under the umbrella of disability is to challenge the concepts and the labels.

Richard

As for behaviorism, I and others warned parents on these internet forums back in the Nineties some of the blowback they could expect if they went the ABA route. They are experiencing it now yet the new parents keep getting sucked in. Not to mention the horror to the autistics. I use labels as short hand Richard but agree that individuals hate them.

re: As to behaviour modification I agree with you in the hands
of the wrong people it is open to unethical treatment and
should be banned. It has no place in modern day society.

COMMENT
probably getting off FC topic…but perchance worthwhile to reminds parent/stakeholders of the ultimate ABA program and it only cost $240,000 per year…no greed here just proven ABA techniques.

read all about it…School of Schock:
http://www.motherjones.com/pol.....hool-shock

[MJ article clip]
Every time he woke from this dream, it took him a few moments to remember that he was in his own bed, that there weren’t electrodes locked to his skin, that he wasn’t about to be shocked. It was no mystery where this recurring nightmare came from—not A Clockwork Orange or 1984, but the years he spent confined in America’s most controversial “behavior modification” facility.

stanley seigler

re: ‘As for independence, most auties just can’t or won’t do it’.

‘Autism’ is a disability label. Some people are happy with
wearing ‘labels’ because it gives them a sense of identity others
like myself prefer to be seen as human beings.

And we will never know how many people would have typed independently because they were denied access to communication.

If a child has been denied an education how can they possibly
make up for that lost time in a short period? The goal of
independence was a goal that was set but how realistic was it
given that each person was an individual and would have had
different educational needs? It was a goal that was achievable
for some given the time for it to be implemented fairly. Now
we have lost all that information.

And people lie and make false statements verbally in mainstream but we do not take away the communication of other people or deny them access to communication because of it.

Richard