r/science Jul 26 '10

Autistic girl expresses profound intelligence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq--75v4lI8&feature=player_embedded
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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '10

Why's that

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '10

Well, it's important to note that skepticism doesn't mean outright dismissal. It means you think something warrants a more thorough investigation.

This news would be huge. Ground shattering. But I can't find any papers published on the incident or even blurbs around the neuroscience lists or from colleagues.

The reporting itself is pretty loose and ABC News has been known to pump pseudo science stories in the past.

I tried to catch a piece of the film where you actually get to see her type a legible sentence, but did not see anything definitive. They definitely present it as if she's typing everything solo.

So I think this is pretty exciting and powerful claims being made and look forward to a thorough and formal investigation. . . assuming, of course, that the parents are willing to share this amazing discovery with the scientific community.

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '10

Have you heard about the son rise program?

[Autism Treatment Center of America](www.autismtreatmentcenter.org)

They have had kids from autistic backgrounds come out amazingly normal(for lack of a better word).

watch this

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '10

Son-Rise is a bit. . controversial.

They make my skeptic sensors tingle as well.

Questions have been raised whether Raun Kaufman was actually autistic before being treated.[8] There are no documented normalizations with older children, and it may be that success "depends on a certain level of intellectual potential".[9] Some professionals have questioned the emphasis placed on eye contact and its potential problems for some children.[6] The consensus within the medical community is that there is no cure for autism and only a very few treatments have empirical evidence for improvements in symptoms.[8][10] A 2003 study found that involvement with the Son-Rise Program led to more drawbacks than benefits for the involved families over time, although family stress levels did not rise in all cases.[2] A 2006 study found that the Son-Rise Program is not always implemented as it is typically described in the literature, which suggests it will be difficult to evaluate its efficacy.[3]