Dear TIPsters, It may dismay you to learn that Barack Obama's apparent choice for surgeon general, Sanjay Gupta, is a supporter of the (thoroughly discredited) Facilitated Communication as a "treatment" autism. See below. Write to him and tell him "no."
(And, by the way, the article cited, authored by my colleagues Bebko, Perry, and Bryson, did NOT support FC, despite CNN's tendentious misinterpretation of it.) Chris -- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada 416-736-2100 ex. 66164 [email protected] http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ ========================== >> Begin forwarded message: >> >> >> >> *From: *"Hank Schlinger, Ph.D." <[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>> >> >> *Date: *January 6, 2009 3:05:16 PM PST >> >> *To: *Autism3 >> >> *Subject: **Surgeon General* >> >> >> >> Read the information below from Jim Todd and then please take a >> moment and go to the Obama website below and ask the Team NOT to >> consider Sanjay Gupta for Surgeon General. If enough people oppose >> this possible nomination, maybe they will drop his nam from >> consideration. (see my comments to President Elect Obama below) >> >> >> >> http://change.gov/page/content/contact/ >> >> >> >> "CNN reports that Sanjay Gupta, who has actively promoted facilitated >> communication as a valid and useful communication method, is being >> considered for United States Surgeon General. >> >> >> >> http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/06/gupta.surgeon.general/index.html >> >> >> >> Here are some links to Gupta's promotion of FC. >> >> >> >> http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/blogs/paging.dr.gupta/2007/10/giving-autism-voice.html >> >> http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/shows/autism.world/fc/index.html >> >> http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0804/02/acd.02.html >> >> http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/121-swift-november-9-2007.html >> >> >> >> Gupta also seems to believe that autism activist Amanda Baggs >> actually has autism. Baggs is unique among people with autism for >> having "regressed" to a semi-nonverbal, semi-ambulatory state in her >> late teens after attending Simon's Rock College and the Johns Hopkins >> Center for Talent Youth. When I last saw her a few months ago, she >> was laying on the floor on a cot at a meeting being fed by someone. >> Her problems do not seem to preclude her signing and making YouTube >> videos. >> >> >> >> http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/blogs/paging.dr.gupta/2007/11/autism-finding-amanda.html >> >> >> >> As far as developmental disabilities are concerned, Gupta seems not >> to understand the depth of his ignorance. Real people suffer real >> harm because of his advocacy of autism pseudoscience and his >> promotion of ersatz experts over real scientists." >> >> >> >> >> Dear Obama Transition Team, >> >> >> >> I am writing to express my strong opposition to Dr. Sajnay Gupta for >> U.S. Surgeon general. >> >> >> >> Dr. Gupta has actively promoted facilitated communication (FC) as a >> valid communication method for people with autism. FC has been >> thoroughly discredited scientifically, a fact which Dr. Gupta refuses >> to accept, opting instead for anecdotes and personal observation as >> evidence of its validity. >> >> >> >> The job of Surgeon General of the United States is too important to >> be offered to someone who has consistently promoted a >> pseudoscientific technique that has harmed so many children and their >> families. >> >> >> >> Thank you. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> James A. Mulick, Ph.D. >> >> We tried sometimes to examine a >> question to determine the truth by >> logic. For as we said, what use to >> chase the Spartans from Attic soil >> if we grow Doric wits ourselves? >> >> Visit and leave a comment on my Blog at http://mulick.blogspot.com/ >> Buy my book: >> http://www.springer.com/psychology/child+%26+school+psychology/book/978-0-387-88714-2 >> --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
