Controversial Therapies for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities

Richard M. Foxx, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at Penn State University Harrisburg and Clinical Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine at Pennsylvania State University in Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA. He was the recipient of the American Psychological Association’s Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research in 2013. James A. Mulick, Ph.D., is Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychology at The Ohio State University and a pediatric psychology expert at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He received the 2009 John W. Jacobson Award for Critical Thinking from the American Psychological Association Division on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

• Preface (First Edition): Fad, Dubious, Controversial, Pseudo-Scientific, and Politically-Correct Treatments in Autism and Intellectual Disabilities Services by John W. Jacobson, Richard M. Foxx, and James A. MulickPreface: Fad, Dubious, Controversial, Pseudo-Scientific, and Politically-Correct Treatments in Autism and Developmental Disabilities Services by Richard M. Foxx and James A. MulickPart I: General IssuesChapter 1: Where Do Fads Come From? by Stuart VyseChapter 2: The Nature and Value of Empirically Validated Interventions by Crighton Newsom and Christine A. HovanitzChapter 3: The Appeal of Unvalidated Treatments by Tristram SmithPart II: Historical, Cultural, and Psychological IssuesChapter 4: History of Fad, Pseudo-Scientific and Dubious Treatments in Intellectual Disabilities: From the 1800s to Today by John W. Jacobson, James A. Mulick, Richard M. Foxx and Elizabeth KryszakChapter 5: The Delusion of Full Inclusion by James M. Kauffman, Devery Mock Ward and Jeanmarie BadarChapter 6: Explaining Gullibility of Service Providers Towards Treatment Fads by Stephen GreenspanChapter 7: Developmental Disabilities and the Paranormal by John W. Jacobson, Elizabeth Kryszak and James A. Mulick Part III: Field-Specific IssuesChapter 8: Fads in Special Education by Thomas Zane, Mary Jane Weiss, Sam Blanco, Lorraine Otte, and Josephine SouthwickChapter 9: The Neutralization of Special Education, Revisted by Susan M. Silvestri and William L. Heward Chapter 10: Fads and Controversial Treatments in Speech-Language Pathology by Cheryl D. Gunter and Mareile A. KoenigPart IV: Disorder and Symptom-Specific IssuesChapter 11: Autism: A Late Twentieth Century Fad Magnet by Bernard Metz, James A. Mulick, and Eric M. ButterChapter 12: Helping Parents Separate the Wheat from the Chaff: Putting Autism Treatments to the Test by Shannon Kay Chapter 13: A Map Through the Minefield: A parent’s primer to find autism treatment that works! by Sabrina FreemanChapter 14: The Perpetuation of the Myth of the Nonaversive Treatment of Severe Behavior by Richard M. FoxxPart V: Intervention Specific IssuesChapter 15: Sensory Integrative Therapy by Tristram Smith, Daniel W. Mruzek, and Dennis MozingoChapter 16: Auditory Integration Training: A Critical Review (1991-2014) by Oliver C. Mudford and Chris CullenChapter 17: Facilitated Communication: The Ultimate Fad Treatment by John W. Jacobson, Richard M. Foxx, and James A. MulickChapter 18: Positive Behavior Support: A Paternalistic Utopian Delusion by James A. Mulick and Eric ButterChapter 19: Nonaversive Treatment by Crighton Newsom and Kimberly A. KroegerChapter 20: Gentle Teaching by Angela M. Arnold-Saritepe, Oliver C. Mudford and Chris CullenChapter 21: Pet Me, Sniff Me, Squeeze Me: Quack Treatment for Autism by Gerald P. Koocher and Erica GillChapter 22: Relationship-Based Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorders by Thomas Zane, Mary Jane Weiss, Kari Dunlop, and Josephine SouthwickChapter 23: Old Horses in New Stables: Rapid Prompting, Facilitated Communication, Science, Ethics, and the History of Magic by James T. ToddChapter 24: The Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet by Keith E. Williams and Richard M. FoxxChapter 25: Why ABA is not a Fad, a Pseudo Science, a Dubious or Controversial Treatment, or Politically Correct by Richard M. FoxxPart VI: Ethical, Legal and Political ConcernsChapter 26: Ethics, Controversial Treatments and Applied Behavior Analysis by Peter SturmeyChapter 27: The National Institute of Health Consensus Development Conference on the Treatment of Destructive Behaviors: A 25-Year Update of a Study in Hardball Politics by Richard M. FoxxChapter 28: Teaching Ethics in Behavior Analysis: Philosophy, Methods and Resources by Jon Bailey and Mary BurchChapter 29: Evidence-Based Practices In Treatment for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities by Thomas Zane, Mary Jane Weiss, Cheryl Davis, and Ian MeltonChapter 30: State Government Regulation of Behavioral Treatment: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly by Richard M. Foxx, Valeria LaCerra, Nina Carraghan, and Jessica A. Fedezko Afterword: A Decade Later by J. M. JohnstonList of Contributors

"This newly updated and revised volume represents a truly important contribution to the professions of education, psychology, medicine, and even law. Its rich case examples serve as classroom exercises for enhancing critical thinking and teaching scientific research design for behavioral scientists. By debunking problematic treatments that lack empirical support and contradicting social media fads, these experts advocate for enhanced scientific approaches that could lead to the improvement of services for children with autism and intellectual disabilities and their families."--Michael C. Roberts, PhD., ABPP, University of Kansas, USA"Whenever conventional medical treatments fail to provide satisfactory outcomes, patients seek alternative treatments. The field of intellectual disabilities is ripe for such alternatives, sometimes developed by well-intentioned health professionals and sometimes not. Foxx and Mulick and their chapter authors provide a thorough look at what is out there, where it came from, and the problems with many of these proposed treatments. This book should be in the office of anyone delivering care to individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities. It will help separate the wheat from the chaff in choosing treatments and in advising and counseling families seeking guidance."--Daniel L. Coury, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at The Ohio State University, and Chief of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics at Nationwide Children's Hospital, USA