Interesting Stuff Thread

Sir, – With regard to Kelly Johnson’s letter (May 4th) commenting on my article (“Disturbing claims by homeopaths” Science Today, April 12th), may I make a correction and some comments? I am not and never have been a member of the Irish Association for Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy. I am a member of the Psychological Society of Ireland and of the British Psychological Society and adhere to their codes of ethics, which are essentially equivalent.

My article focused on the homeopathy-based Cease (Complete Elimination of Autistic Spectrum Expression) method for the treatment of autism, which I described as “glaringly inaccurate nonsense”, a position that I maintain. I mentioned Ms Kelly’s name as the advertised presenter of a course on Cease and said nothing further about her and so did not disparage her personally. Homeopathy on the other hand has been properly disparaged by many, including myself, as pseudoscientific sympathetic magic.

Within psychology, science and medicine, codes of ethics are constructed primarily to protect the users of the relevant services and to ensure appropriate and evidence-based practice.

Within these professions, robust debate and criticism regarding day-to-day practice and claims made are actively encouraged as part of the evolution of ideas and the elimination of what is false, or constitutes poor practice.

This latter approach is largely absent from the world of alternative therapies, where a radical relativism prevails in which all practices are viewed as valid and are based primarily on anecdote and testimonial and are touted on the basis of their longevity. As a consequence, they do not evolve and remain mired in mysticism.

While autism cannot currently be cured, there are many science-based interventions that have made enormous improvements in the lives of those with the condition and their families.

I do not advocate depriving people of any treatment road they wish to pursue, but I do insist on provision of the information necessary for informed decision-making, and I object to unproven alternative treatments being paid for by overstretched national health services and health insurance companies, which ought to fund on the basis of evidence rather than popular demand. – Yours, etc,

PAUL O’DONOGHUE,
Principal Clinical Psychologist,
Woodleigh Elm,
Highfield Road, Dublin 9.