Thinking In Metaphors

Keith Hersh, BCBA

My Vincent Milletich Project seems to have sparked some interest and backlash from the Behaviorist community judging by the comments.

Recently, Keith Hersh, BCBA, stated the following on one of my blog posts:

CS, I don't think you quite understand the relationship between ABA and the JRC.

Matt Isreal is not a behavior analyst.

Allowing him to present at a conference does not mean in any way that behavior analysts are adopting his methods or that, "Matthew Israel really isn't out of the mainstream of ABA, he's right there in the thick of it."

At FABA, we had a presentation by the Big Cat Rescue Society, in which they talked about how they train thier cats to cooperate with medical care. Does this mean that behavior analysts are going to adopt their methods? By your argument, the "Big Cat Rescue Society really isn't out of the mainstream of ABA, They are right there in the thick of it."

For those of you who are confused how Matt could possibly defend what the JRC is doing, you need take into account that formal education in ABA does not teach about the JRC. Responses to Matt somehow allude he knows exactly what is going on at the JRC. Their website and advertising materials indicate that they are following the process that behavior analysts adhere to. Only use punishment, if everything else failed and the behavior is really severe. Then get rid of the punishment ASAP. If this is what the JRC was doing, then possibly, a behavior analyst would methodologically agree with the use of shock. This does not mean that ethically, they would agree, or would ever administer it.

Stop drawing imaginary lines between ABA and the JRC. They don't exist.

This is my response in a sort of point by point response:

"Matt Isreal is not a behavior analyst. Allowing him to present at a conference does not mean in any way that behavior analysts are adopting his methods"

Really? Do you mean those behaviorists who pay to listen to him speak or those behaviorists that he employs?

"Responses to Matt somehow allude he knows exactly what is going on at the JRC."

No, Matt pretty clearly gave the impression that he knew what was going on. He was provided links and gave his endorsement to these practices.

"Their website and advertising materials indicate that they are following the process that behavior analysts adhere to. Only use punishment, if everything else failed and the behavior is really severe. Then get rid of the punishment ASAP. If this is what the JRC was doing, then possibly, a behavior analyst would methodologically agree with the use of shock. "

Do you mean severe behavior where the "student/client" was entrapped by the behaviorist by purposely taunting the "student/client" just so they could administer Level III aversives (Electric Shock) like this from the the NY State Report:

"GED skin shock and restraint are also used together when the Behavior Rehearsal Lesson (BRL) is practiced on a student. The BRL is used when a student exhibits a high risk, low frequency behavior. As described by a JRC staff person, during a BRL, the student is restrained and GED administered as the student is forcibly challenged to do what the procedure seeks to eliminate. If the student attempts to pull away he receives a GED skin shock; if the student attempts to follow through with the high-risk behavior he receives multiple GED skin shocks at closer intervals."

Shocking for behavior that was purposely instigated by the behaviorist? Where have we heard of the above before? Sounds a lot like the treatment Alex received in a Clockwork Orange wherein he is restrained, his eyes mechanically kept open while he watches violent scenes along with what the behaviorist believes is the antecedent, Beethoven's 9th symphony.

"This does not mean that ethically, they would agree, or would ever administer it."

No, doesn't mean they would but some apparently do, and others seem to accept the propaganda without much thoughtful reflection.

Vincent Milletich Project

Interverbal:

"Moreover, Skinner is right. It is not torture. The word "torture" means something specific. What certain parties did in terms of using physical aversives in the past, or still do now, might be disagreeable and I would certainly argue against it on ethical lines, but it is Not Torture" (my emphasis).

This is a project I am putting together to recreate the circumstances of Vincent Milletich's death. Various state governments have a 30 year unsuccessful track record of shutting down The Judge Rotenberg Center. I intend to use the final video along with written evidence of why I believe international pressure is necessary to shut down JRC. Final film copy along with documented abuses will be submitted to Amnesty International for it's consideration to take on JRC.

I have begun to order materials and props to recreate Vincent's death. The project will be well documented using press accounts and court records showing the last minutes of Vincent's life. If you have any information that you feel is pertinent to this project please contact me. My email is listed in the about section.

Update:

I thought I would post young master Matt Brodhead's defense of the Judge Rotenberg Center. You can find it here. Also, JRC's destroying of probable incriminating evidence in a law enforcement investigation found here.

According to his profile, Matt is a 1st year graduate student studying Behavior Analysis at Western Michigan University.

You may ask why I would link to a blog post that I might find offensive by its very nature (supporting extreme physical aversives against children). I post it because I think Matt's view of JRC is exactly what Matthew Israel's extensive propaganda machine conveys to the public and contradictory information about the ethics and honesty of clinicians working at JRC, which there is ample evidence of here, and here, is not persuasive for a 1st year grad student in Behavior Analysis. Matt's post could easily be confused for a PR release for JRC. I don't think Matt is alone in his views nor necessarily in the minority of behavior analysts.

Interesting discussion over on Michelle Dawson's TMob website. This was recently posted about Matthew Israel.

I mainly read here and seldom write.

My name is Sharon and I'm from Israel.

We had a visit here of Dr Matthew Israel last week. Apparently it was a private visit but the local ABA community here could not resist it and invited Dr Israel to lecture about JRC's methodology. The lecture took place at the Zisnman College for Physical Education & Sports within the Wingate Institute and it was organized by the Center for Behavior Analysis in the college together with the Israeli association for ABA.

The invitation/brochure to the lecture presents JRC as using "full implementation of ABA science" with "direct" and "exact" teaching to "help people in high risk".
About Dr Israel it is said that he has "deep knowledge of the ethical, clinical and legal aspects of the issue in North America".

The lecture and the way Dr Israel was presented in front of educators etc. here in Israel are now the subject of letters exchange and criticism here.

Prior to this, the secretary of the local behaviorists association here in Israel, Mr. Michael Ben-Zvi, has been scheduled to take part in the first conference to be held here in Israel by the Israeli autistic selp-advocacy group.
Because Dr. Israel's lecture has been coordinated by the local behaviorists association and after Mr. Ben-Zvi did not express any rejection of JRC's methods and after a letter from Dr Eitan Eldar (head of the ABA program in the Zisman College) failed to do the same thing the Israeli selp-advocacy organization ACI informed Mr. Ben-Zvi that his participation is ACI's (Autistic Community of Israel) symposium (to be held at July the 23rd in Raanana ) is canceled.

Prior to Dr. Israel's lecture (in the Zisman College) the Israeli web site "Special Place" which advertised the lecture in its on-line board decided to take it off after it received information regarding JRC's methodologies.

The Israeli national autism society, Alut, still has not responded to a letter concerning the publication of Dr. Israel's lecture by its family support center (Bet-Loren).

Matthew Israel really isn't out of the mainstream of ABA, he's right there in the thick of it.

Alleged BCBA Consultant's Favorited Video

I found this video on Youtube about a year ago (I've modified it to conceal the child's face). It was a profiled video on Youtube from a person that identified themselves as a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst). She took issue with me and others that I would condemn her for favoriting this video. The video was posted with a title called "Our Crazy Kid". I, along with others, flagged the video on youtube and had it removed. However, what I did not find is any of the behaviorists on Youtube, and there are plenty, objecting or commenting on this video (even after I made sure they were aware of it). In fact, I had one behaviorist tell me that the child was going through an extinction burst and the parents weren't applying this method correctly because the father was inconsistent and that I shouldn't condemn a whole field of psychology. Well guess what, one of those commenters showed up again on Vimeo, where I reposted the video. Rather than comdemn the procedure, she struck out against me for even posting this by asking me "what makes you qualified to blanket an entire field and practice of psychology as 'abuse'." She didn't condemn what was occurring in the video but was condemning me for attacking ABA. It was a dogmatic response.

Emotional Response to ABA

Kathy is an autistic person who does wonderful videos on youtube. In a couple of them, she talks about her experience in working in an ABA school (recently). Watch Kathy's emotional response to seeing what she saw in this school. Kathy is a gentle soul I've come to know a little through youtube and her method of advocacy is very different than mine. Kathy tries to build consensus and understanding in her very unique and gentle way. I ask you to watch the entire video, especially the last 90 seconds. I post this to ask Interverbal a question, which I hope he will answer on this blog, rather than his own. What evidence do you want to see to indicate whether a study of PTSD is warranted in children that go through ABA? What evidence do you need?