'Facilitated Communication' on 20/20 tonight

[fishbait]

"Exposed: When Junk Science is Used to Rip One Family Apart," is scheduled to air at 10 p.m. on local ABC stations.

 

[AdMan]

Thanks for the heads up. I wasn't familiar with this particular case.

It's not often that the media does stories from this perspective--glad to see it is happening.

 

[fishbait]

Thanks for the heads up. I wasn't familiar with this particular case.

It's not often that the media does stories from this perspective--glad to see it is happening.

Randi has spoken of this case several times in the past. It is a very real tragedy for the family. The actions of the police, county prosecutor, and school authorities in this matter were mind-bogglingly stupid.

 

[George 152]

Is there any possible way that the actual people who perpetrated this heinous crime against the family be sent to prison and have to sell all their assets to pay costs to the family..
There has to be a cost to the insanity of pseudo psychology

 

[SOdhner]

Is there any possible way that the actual people who perpetrated this heinous crime against the family be sent to prison and have to sell all their assets to pay costs to the family..
There has to be a cost to the insanity of pseudo psychology

I have some sympathy for at least some of them. Most genuinely thought it was working as intended, and the ones that accused others of crimes while supposedly speaking for the children were horrified at what they had done once they realized it was them all along. It's just a reminder that none of us are all that far away from hearing voices even when we're healthy.

That being said, it baffles me that nobody spoke up to call BS sooner. We're talking about kids who aren't even looking in the right general direction and have little to no motor control supposedly composing poetry on these boards. Kids who have been demonstrated to be severely mentally retarded suddenly writing at a college level. Obviously there's a lot of self-delusion going on by people who are desperate to have loved ones speak to them, but was there nobody watching that was a little further removed from that psychological desire?

 

[Avery Dashwood]

This was known to be feces years ago, yet it's still out there. I wonder what that judge was thinking when he refused to let the accused out on bond after seeing the "victim" clearly could not communicate.

 

[JimBenArm]

Definitely going to DVR this.

 

[lane99]

This was known to be feces years ago...

Right.

...yet it's still out there...

Surprised to hear that.

Meanwhile, thanks for the heads-up, OP. Will try to catch the show.

 

[ehcks]

In late 2007, Julian Wendrow was accused of sexually assaulting his then-14-year-old developmentally disabled daughter after a school aide, using a controversial method called facilitated communication, guided the girl's hand over a keyboard.

So it's effectively a Ouija board?

 

[AdMan]

So it's effectively a Ouija board?

Yes--basically the ideomotor effect in action.

 

[Drewbot]

horrible, and the prosecutor said he would apologize over 'his dead body'. Thank FSM, that the charges were dropped.

The problem is, the facilitator, when getting caught as a fraud, had the girl type "i am afraid", so the prosecutor could say that the test isnt working because the girl was afraid of her dad.