Association for Behavioral Analysis 47th Annual Convention; Online; 2021
Quote:
Symposium #272
CE Offered: BACB —
Ethics
Challenging the FDA Ban on Electrical Stimulation Devices
Sunday, May 30, 2021
3:00 PM–3:50 PM EDT
Online
Area: PCH/DDA; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Nicholas Lowther (Judge Rotenberg Educational Center)
Discussant: R. Nicolle Nicolle Carr (University of Oklahoma)
CE Instructor: Nathan Blenkush, Ph.D.
Abstract: Aversive conditioning devices have been utilized for treatment refractory self-injury, aggression, and other problem behaviors for over 50 years. In March of 2020, 6 years after disclosing consideration of a ban, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned Electrical Stimulation Devices (ESDs) including the Graduated Electronic Decelerator (GED) for the treatment of self-injurious (SIB) and aggressive behavior (AB). The Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) and the JRC Parents Association petitioned the FDA for a stay of action in relation to the ban and have filed an appeal of the ban with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The FDA issued a partial stay allowing patients already using ESDs to continue such use. Here we review the regulatory history of ESDs, the attack on ESD research methodology, internal FDA documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, and provide a status update on the challenge to the FDA ban. Taken together, we argue the FDA ban places political considerations before the individual needs of clients. Ethical considerations for behavior analysts with treatment refractory clients are discussed.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): electrical stimulation, treatment refractory
Target Audience: The audience should have a working understanding of various experimental design methodologies and the treatments typically used for severe behaviors.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion fo the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe the benefits and critiques of single-subject research and randomized controlled trials; (2) state the regulator factors associated with medical devices; (3) understand the status of a lawsuit to stop the ban.
Thanks to Sara Luterman and Ryan Hendry for bringing this disturbing information to my attention. I knew about the FDA ban but not that the torture is still going on due to the partial stay.
They can claim we are the new better ABA all they want but when they allow a symposium like this what it tells me is that if allowed to they would go back to the original ABA in a heartbeat.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
20 Mar 2021, 10:01 am
