When I saw a TV news report yesterday about a Belgian man supposedly communicating after 23 years of uttering not a peep, my bullshit detector started to beep loudly.
For one thing, his "communication" was via computer keyboard in what looked to me like "facilitated communication" (FC).
FC was a big thing about 20 years ago, when parents of kids with brain damage, severe autism and the like thought those children were expressing themselves by typing on a keyboard or pointing to pictures and letters on a board. Which would have been awesome if it were the slightest bit true.
The countless parents who used FC with their children were, in fact, talking to themselves.
Turns out I'm not the only one to spot the probable FC hoax in this new Belgian case.
Here's what The Skeptic's Dictionary says: "Most of the stories I've seen on the topic claim the fellow is using a computer to communicate. The whole truth is that he is (literally) being manipulated by a facilitator. ... It is obvious that this poor fellow is having his finger dragged by his facilitator to letters on a board."
Skepdic also links to James Randi's commentary on the case. As a longtime fan of Randi, I'm eager to read his observations. Sadly, that link wasn't working this morning.
The unskeptical news stories that have been coming out about this case are harmful for at least two reasons: They hand a (fallacious) talking point to "right to life" kooks who never want to see life-support withdrawn from patients who have been in vegetative states for years (remember Terri Schiavo?), and they wrongly make the families of such patients feel horribly guilty for wanting to have life-support halted.
News media have done a lousy job covering the story so far. I hope they smarten up soon.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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"Facilitated communication"! Now that seems to me to open a promising channel for Republicans. 26% of them, anyway, who cannot simply spell the words on their signs.
I'm also glad you posted this. I'm not usually attracted to look past the headlines of Schiavo-type stories. If it hadn't have been for your public-service-minded post, I wouldn't have gotten the low-down on this crap.
Thanks, Vig. Some people have pointed to brain-wave measurements as proof that the story is reliable, but super-smart PZ Myers points out the problem with that. And he says the doctor in the forefront of this story has a history of making questionable diagnoses.
Stimpson, you bring the terry Schaivo case to mind, in which politicians who scream about the government coming between patients and their doctor did exactly that by passing a bill to keep her on life support. Crawford Caligula interrupted made an emergency flight to DC the same day. If you remember, it took hi three days to interrupt his vacation and respond to hurricane Katrina.
Yes, Shrub really showed his priorities there. Thousands of stranded, endangerered Big Uneasy residents? They can wait. One woman in a years-long persistent vegetative state? 'Get me on Air Force One ASAP!'
This is interesting. I hadn't read about this. I wonder if it is a hoax or massive wishful thinking by the handlers.
As a longtime fan of (James)Randi, I'm eager to read his observations.
As far as I'm concerned, send Randi to Washington and have him run out all the fakers, course the place would be a ghost town then.
But on the main topic, the story seemed very fishy to me as well.
One other thought: If this fella is indeed "locked in" - i.e., cognizant of his surroundings but unable to speak out - it must upset him to know that he's being used as a puppet by his facilitator or "therapist" or whatever the woman moving his hands calls herself.
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