How ‘Fake News’ Affects Autism Policy

Abstract

Since autism was first recognised, prevalence has increased rapidly. The growing economic as well as social cost to families and society can only be mitigated by effective interventions and supports. It is, therefore, not surprising that there is much heated debate and most governments have developed public policies to address the management of autism. This paper describes how well-known 'propaganda' techniques, that have become prevalent in the helping professions have been used to influence autism policies by spreading 'fake news' about the scientific discipline of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). Over the past 40-50 years, meaningful evidence has accrued showing that interventions based on ABA can help people with autism reach their potential. In view of this, nearly all of North America has laws to mandate that ABA-based interventions are available through their health care systems. In contrast, across Europe there are no such laws. In fact, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body guiding health and social policy in the UK, concluded that it could not find any evidence to support ABA, and therefore could not recommend it. This paper addresses the reasons for these diametrically opposed perspectives.

Higher education and behavior analysis in Europe: creating a unified approach for the training of autism professionals

“…In this paper, we focused on issues related to higher education and autism interventions within seven European countries. These descriptions may not be complete, and we encourage others to continue to write about the history, culture, and application of behaviour analysis in Europe (cf., Keenan & Dillenburger, 2018;Keenan et al, 2015;Kelly et al, 2018;Wang et al, 2019).…”

Technology and behaviour analysis in higher education

“…The lack of professional recognition across Europe means that the practice of ABA, particularly in the field of autism, has fallen prey to misunderstandings and, at times, misapplication (Dillenburger, McKerr, & Jordan, 2014a;Keenan et al, 2014;PEAT, 2002). As a consequence, nearly all European countries have eXperienced eXplicit anti-ABA propaganda (e.g., Keenan & Dillenburger, 2018;Kelly, Martin, Dillenburger, Kelly, & Miller, 2018) initiated either by academics not trained in the science of behaviour analysis (Baron-Cohen, 2014;Jordan, 2001; The Skeptical Advisor, 2014), or by self-appointed 'autistic advocates' (Milton, 2012;Kupferstein, 2018). The resulting misinformation about ABA politicises the environment in which the science is taught.…”

“…On the contrary, advocacy and accurate dissemination is an important issue in science (AAAS, 2018;Unumb, 2013), especially when misrepresentation blocks the potential for significant positive impact on the lives of others. For it to be effective, though, advocacy has to be strategic and it needs to utilise behavioural technology comprehensively (Dillenburger, McKerr, & Jordan, 2014b;Keenan & Dillenburger, 2018;Kelly et al, 2018;Virués-Ortega & Yu, 2018). Skinner (1953) recognised the compleXities involved in applying behavioural technology for changing cultural practices:…”

“…A non-strategic approach to advocacy leaves a vacuum, often with the result that 'fake news' about ABA dominates discussion at policy levels (Keenan & Dillenburger, 2018). An eXample occurred at an event held in London, England, when the Westminster Commission on Autism (2018) launched their report into healthcare fraud in relation to autism.…”

Participation in a Science Festival Promotes Inclusive Science Communication around Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…This combination of a high prevalence disorder with limited information about etiology creates a dynamic in which misinformation about etiology and treatment of the condition is rampant. While searches for the word "autism" on the internet yield hundreds of millions of hits, the quality of information varies widely and can influence, for example, the opinions of parents on accepting a diagnosis (5) or health policy makers setting standards for coverage of autism treatment (6). Healthcare consumers (as well as providers) often struggle to sort through the overwhelming volume of information to land on an empirically-informed vantage point (6,7).…”