Articles Relevant to both Humanism and Develpmental Disabilities

 

1.    4/18/07 - Audrey Santos of Worcester, Massachusetts died this week. This young woman had been in

an apparent vegetative state since nearly drowning at the age of three in 1987. Miracles and miracle

healings were reported to occur in her presence. She is mentioned here because, had she been not in an

apparent vegetative state, she would probably exhibit some degree of intellectual disability from her

accident. The Skeptical Inquirer had done a spendid review of her several years ago but this is no longer

available on-line. Wikipedia does an interesting review at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audrey_Santo

2 11/23/09 Be cautious in accepting the story of a Mr Houben who has been in a coma for 23 years and is

suddenly communicating. Look for more validation. The communication is through facilitated communication

and the wiggle of a toe which is also interpreted through facilitated communication. Facilitated

communication has never suceeded in a well-controlled experiment.

The high tech brain scan has not been identified in the stories I’ve seen.

In spite of allegedly hearing Drs. talk for years, there has been no actual presentation of anything a doctor

has said.

It would be wonderful if Mr Houben was regaining some part of his life and it would reopen the debate on

facilitated communication I had thought was closed, but I would be cautious, really really cautious.