Why What a Gormless Irish Self-Help Guru Wrote About Autism Matters

Update February 9 2012: More articles! And words from Humphreys!

 Update February 8 2012: More articles! Take action!

You can submit a letter to the editor by going to http://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/letters/sendletter

You can complain to the Irish Press Council:

Press Council of Ireland

1,2 and 3 Westmoreland street, Dublin 2
Republic of Ireland.

info@presscouncil.ie

 It is 2012, and newspapers are still printing this malignant twaddle about autistics and their parents:

What is shocking is that [autism researchers] are one: assuming that autism is a scientific fact and, two: missing the glaringly obvious fact that if the adults they researched live predominently in their heads and possess few or no heart qualities, their children will need to find some way of defending themselves against the absence of expressed love and affection and emotional receptivity.

In other words, autism is a myth; whatever is wrong with "those children" is the fault of the parents; and those who work in science, technology, engineering and math are cold, unfeeling types.

Who said it?  A man named Tony Humphreys, who advertises himself as "the most influential psychologist in Ireland". Casting an eye over his publication list, I'd call him just a run-of-the-mill self-help guru, selling soothing twaddle (see Steve Salerno's brilliant SHAM for background) with an Irish inflection.  He's virtually unknown over here in the US -- books un-reviewed on Amazon; no newspaper coverage, and so on.  

as always, click to embiggen.

 

In Ireland, he appears to be well-known, or at least, adept at self-promotion--styling himself as "Dr." and as a "clinical psychologist", although his qualifications seem hard to come by.  At any rate, he's on the radio and has a gig writing a regular newspaper column for the Irish Examiner.

Update February 9: In an article at the Irish Examiner, Humphreys  "responded to comments on blogs and social media websites which questioned his professional background. He pointed out he had a BA (hons) and MA (hons) in applied psychology from UCC and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Birmingham."
 

On Friday, February 3 2012, The Irish Examiner ran the above-quoted article (the whole thing is reprinted at Irish Autism Action's Facebook page).

A furore ensued, but the Irish Examiner was unmoved:

Dr Humphreys is a highly experienced and well-regarded clinical psychologist, successful author, and broadcaster. 

Today, they published a few rebuttals from parents (see below) but allowed Humphreys to repeat more inaccurate and offensive remarks: 

My intention in last Friday’s article was to give people information that has emerged in recent times in relation to troubling behaviours in children that are commonly called autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). 

This ASD perspective has dominated and has been presented as fact. My goal was to show there is another perspective on this and that what has been presented as fact is not fact; it is simply a perspective

Why should non-Irish autism advocates care?  Because counter-factual bollocks like Humphrey's spreads like slimemold.  Because a lie can go around the world before the truth can get its boots on.  Because such opinions lead to treatments that are harmful to autistics and their families.

Sharon F (an Irishwoman and autism parent) wrote at The Voyage:

I now think that Humphreys is hoping to not just promote himself and his book at the expense of autistic children, he is hoping to gain customers seeking to redress their failures as parents and fix their children. The biomedical quackery industry have seen parents willing to subject their children to all sorts of unproven and dangerous "therapies" when told it would lead to a cure. The psychoanalysts want some of that action. In order to sell their services, they have to convince enough parents that the cause of their children's autism is known and fixable.

Bock the Robber wrote a detailed critique of each point Humphreys raised at Tony Humphreys, Clinical Psychologist, blames the parents, and notes:

Humphreys presumes that autistic children have not received a daily diet of nurture, love, affection, patience, warmth, tenderness and kindness.  An insult to their parents.  Since he is not an expert in genetics, neurology or biology, he has no business making definitive statements about these things.  It reflects poorly on him.  No professional should make make such dogmatic statements about a field he is not qualified in

Mike Stanton pointed out that as bad as Timimi's Myth of Autism is, it didn't help that Humphreys completely misunderstood the book:,

That is concurring with Humphreys' attack on parents who possess few or no heart qualities? It seems only right that ill-written books should be ill-read. But, bad as it is, The Myth of Autism does not deserve to be as badly read as it was by Tony Humphreys, if he read it at all.

Scientist Kevin Mitchell, in a letter to The Irish Examiner

The article by Tony Humphreys claiming that autism is caused by "cold" or emotionally distant parents, displays such willful ignorance, lack of understanding and density of inaccurate and offensive statements that it is shocking that the Irish Examiner would publish it.

 

Update February 8 2012

 Brian Hughes at The Science Bit has written "How to Argue Illogically: Tony's Top Ten Tips"  

Arguing that if something is a psychological difference then it cannot also a biological difference is an example of an appeal to dualism. As a purported expert, for Humphreys to adopt such an argument betrays a command of his subject that is deficient on a truly breathtaking scale.

Update February 9 2012 Humphreys quoted Simon Baron Cohen in his essay.  This was his response:

 Steve Salerno on the kind of babble Tony Humphreys emits:

And yet even when people aren't dying, there is no missing the recklessness of this misbegotten realm. Self-help is not benign. The $11 billion industry can hurt you psychologically, it can hurt you financially and, as we see, it can hurt you physically. It can hurt your family and friends too.

and

The trouble is, in order for a self-help regimen to gain real-world traction, it must be oversimplified. It must be extreme -- polar. Either it offers full absolution from responsibility and blame (i.e. victimization) or it offers the promise of omnipotence (i.e. empowerment). Neither pole has much to do with real life, which, as noted, is heavily nuanced and laden with unknowns.

I think there's more to come on the story of Tony Humphreys and autism, and I'll be here to get the word out.

Listing Changed February 9 2012

Humphreys' Articles and Favorable Reaction

1. February 3 2012 Tony Humphreys on Autism in the Irish Examiner "Core Connection" (reproduced at Irish Autism Action Facebook Page) 
2. February 7 2012 Op-Ed at Irish Examiner The Right to an Opinion
3. February 7 2012 Tony Humphreys at Irish Examiner Research is Crucial to Care Debate
4. February 9 2012 Conall Ó Fátharta at The Irish Examiner Parents "Never to Blame"
5. February 11 2012 Transcript of Claire Byrne's interview with Tony Humpreys on the Marian Finucane show
6. February 11 2012 The Irish Journal Humphreys Stands by Comments
7. February 12 2012 The Irish Examiner Humpreys Shocked by Reaction to Article

Responses Critical of Humphreys:

1. February 3 2012 The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism Facebook Page
2. February 4 2012 Sharon F. at The Family Voyage Irish Examiner and Tony Humphreys -- A New/Old Theory of Autism
3. February 4 2012 Carol Oates Where I Admit I've Been Lying to Everyone
4. February 4 2012 Magnum Lady at Magnum Lady's Blog "Core Connections"
5. February 4 2012 Bock at Bock the Robber Autism Spectrum: Tony Humphreys, Clinical Psychologist, Blames the Parents
6. February 5 2012 Siobhan O’Neill, guest posting at Maman Poulan Responding to Tony Humphreys  
7. February 5 2012 Three Mile Limit Refrigerator Cousin: Tony Humphreys on Autism and Engineers
8. February 5 2012 Sharon F. at the Family Voyage Autism Ordure at The Irish Examiner: Why Worry
9. February 5 2012 Mike Stanton at Penumbrage The Myth of Autism pt. 3
10. February 6 2012 Sharon F. at the Family Voyage Tony Humphrey's Toxic Autism Article
11. February 6 2012 Lisa Maree Domican at Living with Autism A Posting from Autism Ireland Facebook page
12. February 6 2012 Wrong Planet Discussion Board Autism Doesn't Exist?
13. February 6 2012 Political Discussion Board Tony Humphreys and That Autism Article
14. February 7 2012 Irish Autism Action and Parents Respond (Facebook)
15. February 7 2012 Sharon F. at The Family Voyage Irish Examiner Responds to "Autism Controversy"
16. February 7 2012 Eoin Lettice at Communicate Science Autism Article Does No Public Service
17. February 7 2011 Irish Autism Action Facebook Page Parents Response
18. February 7 2012 Kevin Mitchell at Irish Examiner Psychobabble Discredited for Decades
19. February 7 2012 Kevin Whelan (CEO of Autism Ireland Action) We Don't Need to Defrost an Assumption Over 70 Years Old
20. February 7 2012 Frances O’Callaghan  at Irish Examiner Upset and Offended by Article
21. February 7 2012 Vanessa O’Loughlin at Irish Examiner Autism Spectrum Disorders Is Not Just About Emotional Withdrawal
22. February 7 2012 Niall Finn at Irish Examiner Article Horrendously Insulting and Hurtful
23. February 7 2012 Penny Rogers at Irish Examiner Article Outlines An Outdated Theory Without Empirical Basis
24. February 7 2012 Damian Morrissey at Irish Examiner Offended by Hate Speech
25. February 7 2012 Roller-Coaster ie (Discussion Board) Your Opinion on Tony Humphreys' Article
26. February 7 2012 Mark Connelly at Irish Autism Action Facebook Page What Are Tony Humphreys' Qualifications?
27. February 7 2012 Simon Harris TD at his Facebook page:  Unbalanced and Ill-Informed Comments on Autism Are Hurtful and Unhelpful
28. February 7 2012 Nick McGivney at Our Jacob A Lesson On Love in Down Syndrome, A Lesson on Emotional Distance in ASD
29. February 8 2012 Interview with Lisa Domitan on Irish Talk Radio
30. February 8 2012 Brian Hughes At The Science Bit "How to Argue Illogically: Tony's Top Ten Tips"  
31. February 8 2012 Heather Anders at Irish Examiner We are Engaged and Compassionate Parents
32. February 8 2012 Sharon F at The Family Voyage Tony Humphreys In Irish Examiner--Parents to Blame
33. February 8 2012 Brigid Sinnott at Irish Examiner Very Damaging Material
34. February 8 2012 Leigh McCann at Irish Examiner Don't Blame Parents for Autism
35. February 8 2012 Professor Louise Gallagher Apologize to Everyone Affected by Autism
36. February 8 2012 Jazzy Gal at Jazzy Gal Stepping Out Wordless Wednesday Refrigerator Mom...The Evidence
37. February 8 2012 MagnumLady at MagnumLady's Blog The Autism Controversy Continues
38. February 8 2012 Devina Devecha at Autism and Us Blog Autism Theories from The Dark Ages in  2012 
39. February 8 2012 Mum at Looking for Blue Sky Why The Tony Humphreys Article Upset Me So Much
40. Februrary 8 2012 Greg at The Skeprechauns Tony Humphreys and More
41. February 9 2012 Sara McSweeney at The Irish Examiner People with Autism Deserve Better
42. February 9 2012 Niall O’Brolchain at The Irish Examiner Article Could Be Used to Justify Cutbacks
43. February 9 2012 Mary Farrell at The Irish Examiner Humphreys' Views are Discredited
44. February 9 2012 Paul at Penhire Tony Humphreys Nonsense
45. February 9 2012 SharonF at The Family Voyage Excuses Not Apology from Irish Examiner and Tony Humphreys
46. February 9 2012 Fatmammycat at Fatmammycat's Blog Bombastic Tony Humphreys Says He Didn't Say Exactly What He Said 
47. February 9 2012 Brian Hughes at Psychology Science & Human Values That Autism Story: How Psychologists Get It Wrong (But Sometimes Get It Right)
48. February 9 2012 Sharon at The Tumultous Truth Enough with The Bettleheim BS
49. February 9 2012 3Laine at Irish Autistic Action Tony Humphreys, Autism Myths and Market Niche 
50. February 9 2012 Mary O’Grady and Janet at The Irish Times A Dishonour to Loving and Caring Parents
51. February 9 2012 Irish Journal Controversial Autism Article Should Be Retracted
52. February 10 2012 Stephen Rogers at The Irish Examiner Comments Likely to Cause Upset
53. February 10 2012 Fidget Jones at Fidget Jones Diary I Could Hardly Believe My Ears
54. February 10 2012 Sharon F at The Family Voyage A Half-Hearted Apology from The Irish Examiner
55. February 10 2012 Looking for Blue Sky at The Irish Journal Does Tony Humpreys Believe I Don't Love My Children Enough
56. February 11 2012 Kieran Kennedy at The Irish Examiner Don't Shoot the Messenger
57. February 11 2012 Senator Mary Moran at Irish Digest Calls for Apology over Autism Article
58. February 12 2012 at Jacinta Corrigan at The Irish Examiner Others Don't Have a National Platform  
59. February 12 2012 Lisa Maree Domitan at Autism Letter to the Editor--With Love
60. February 13 2012 Doireanne Obrian Autism and Siblings This One's For the Parents
61. February 13 2020 SharonF at The Family Voyage Claire Byrne's Interview with Tony Humphreys
62. February 14 2012 Ronan McGreevy at Irish Times Reilly Calls Autism Claims Outrageous
63. February 14 2012 at Adelina Campos at Irish Herald Reilly:Psychologist Insulted Me As An Autism Dad
64. February 14 2012 at Irish Journal: Insulting and Outrageous James Reilly Slams Tony Humphreys
65. February 14 2012 Conall Ó Fátharta at Irish Examiner Reilly: Humphreys' Autism Comments Outrageous
66. February 14 2012 SharonF at The Family Voyage The Good News According to Tony

Tony Humphreys Resources

• Keynote Talk, Donegal Childcare Committee Conference 2011 (60 minute video)
• Interview Tony Humphries "Authentic Leadership" Pt I
• Interview Tony Humphries "Authentic Leadership" Pt II
• Interview Tony Humphries "Authentic Leadership" Pt III
• Interview Tony Humphries "Authentic Leadership" Pt IV

Comments

[LisaMaree Grace App]

Yep a lie does spread dangerously quickly. Particularly when there is a silent population waiting to believe it - in order to justify their own sneaky prejudice. Now that's even more to be afraid of.
xx

[Sharonf]

Thanks for this assessment of exactly why this is important and dangerous. Brilliant list of resources as always Liz.

[Sharonf]

And I have just looked into his pontificating about asthma here: http://t.co/6RCfgvSu

[Devina Divecha (Autism & Us)]

I totally agree that this is something that can be spread so easily. I live in Dubai but I came across his article as well, thanks to Twitter. People who already have prejudices against the special needs and autism community can take this as a reference point for more hatred towards us.

[RD]

Gormless and not qualified?
On http://www.facebook.com/Irishautism there are some comments - "I spoke with the Psychologists Society of Ireland this morning. They have been getting lots of phonecalls from people checking up on Tony Humphreys. He is not registered with them but there is no requirement at the moment for everyone acting as a psychologist to be registered with them. Basically anyone here in Ireland can call themselves a psychologist! Regulation is due but hasn't been enacted yet! No point in sending in a letter of complaint to them - they suggested sending letters of complaint to Tony Humphreys!! (as if we haven't done that already!)"
and
"just off phone with the secretary and apparently he is working out of UCC on consultancy basis and she said she's not at liberty to give out qualifications? Emmm makes u wonder! He's not registered in PSI, No details on website, nothing on internet, and secretary wont say??? Very suspicious!"

[i a kerr]

This man is a charlatan and always has been. He is not recognised by professional psychologists [I am one and have taken issue with him in the past on various topics-eg Dyslexia which he described as resulting from child sexual abuse- although he does not respond and appears to wish no contact with qualified psychologists] and the mystery is why UCC continues to allow him to trade on their name despite longstanding complaints of his behaviour by members of UCC Psychology Department.

[RD]

The Tony Humphreys blame archive is available at http://www.irishexaminer.com/feelgood/archive/page2/ in PDF form, but he also helpfully provides the text of his own articles at http://www.tonyhumphreys.ie/news/previous/ but without the date to cross-reference. (002stressing.html covers appendicitis while 045newyear.html covers "recurring headaches, enduring back-pain, insomnia, anorexia nervosa, bulimia, persistent fatigue, abdominal pain, hypertension, stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis ... ‘living in your head’, ‘obsessional thinking’, ‘living in the future’, ‘living in the past’, depressive thinking, self-depreciating thinking, aggressive thought patterns"). One of the pdfs had a case study of woman whose IBS was "obviously" due to emotional neglect.

[jazzygal]

His comments are ridiculous and dangerous. I too fear that his 'arguments' could be selectively believed by our Government, in this era of Austerity, and even more cuts heaped upon the Autism community here in Ireland. The self -doubt and feelings of unearned guilt he can impose on vulnerable parents, especially those with new diagnosis is disgusting.

Thanks for including link to my blog post.

xx Jazzy

[RD]

2010-05-21 Asthma - "The causes of asthma are not known and the suggestion of a genetic link is too remote to be seriously considered. Certainly, environmental causes have been posited — dust mites, pollution, over-heated homes — but these don’t ring true because most people who are exposed to these same physical environmental threats do not develop asthma. The environmental threats that are far more prevalent for children are emotional and social. The home is the most dangerous place for children to be — the threats they may daily encounter are physical, sexual, emotional, intellectual, behavioural and social — the greatest of all being the absence of unconditional love."

2010-06-25 IBS - "In my book, with co-author Helen Ruddle, The Compassionate Intentions of Illness, there is a case study of a woman in her early 40s who was sent by his medical general practitioner with a diagnosis of IBS. It emerged that she had several stress-related medical conditions, including gastric reflux, teeth grinding and an underactive thyroid. Her early experiences of harsh rejection by her mother and her unresolved dread of social situations in her current life are in keeping with the stress sources detected by Dr Cryan and Professor Dinan in their research of individuals with IBS. Long-term psychotherapy proved to be very effective in reducing the dis-ease symptoms and the client’s reliance on medication across all the presenting medical problems."

[Helen Ruddle, his wife, is also calls herself a "Dr", but does seem to have registered with the IACP]

[RD]

Dr Tony Humphries PhD has a doctorate in Hypnosis (1983) from the University of Birmingham, UK.

[RD]

Homsexuality is caused by punishing mothers and absent fathers: "There may be deeper emotional reasons why an individual develops a homosexual inclination. Sometimes, within families the relationship that works best is the same-sexed one – between father and son – or between mother and daughter. When you consider that one in two to one in three in heterosexual relationships experience breakdown, then the rising rate of homosexual relationships may be symptomatic of such failure. The situation of a mother having a very punishing relationship with her son can also lead the sexual drive of her son attaching itself to a male because closeness with a female would involve high-risk of the rejection experienced from his mother. Unavailable fathers may underlie homosexuality in that the child/teenager subconsciously wants to attract the male who has abandoned him." http://www.tonyhumphreys.ie/news/previous/003what_do_you_do.html

(My guess is that no statistical study would support these quaint notions of an ex-priest).

[RD]

ADHD caused by parents and teachers: "Furthermore, I am wondering why Dr. Kendall insists on sticking with the label of ADHD, when there is no such biological condition! There is no disputing that children can present with extremely difficult and challenging behaviours. There is no doubt too that when they do parents and teachers have a hard job trying to manage these troubling responses. However, what is urgently needed is a follow-up on Dr. Spitzer’s admitted serious oversight – the context of these children’s lives. The contexts that need examining are the children’s homes, schools and communities. So many parents and teachers become defensive when such an examination is proposed, as if they are going to be judged as ‘bad’ parents and teachers." http://www.tonyhumphreys.ie/news/previous/050adhd.html

... and the drugs don't work "Over the span of the last thirty years, schoolyards have become populated by children diagnosed with mental disorders, most notably ADHD, depression and bi-polar depression. The parents of these children are told that there is something wrong with their children’s brains and that they may have to take psychiatric medications for the rest of their lives, just like a ‘diabetic takes insulin.’ However, what parents have not been told is that, in spite of fifty years of research, the chemical underpinnings of ADHD, depression, bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia remain unknown and that the prescriptions of drugs for these conditions has no basis in research." http://www.tonyhumphreys.ie/news/previous/079depression.html

Bad mothers cause ODD, ADD and ADHD: "This notion of a biologically defective gender is particularly prevalent in the epidemic labelling of boys, (three to one ratio in favour of boys) with ADD, ADHD, and ODD (oppositional defiance disorder). How is it that modern women are giving birth to so many biologically deficient boys, resulting in these syndromes? Or, is there another more logical and verifiable possibility – boys are reared differently to girls. One female professional friend asked me why do boys turn out the way they do, ‘after all, we their mothers cuddle them, love them, dote on them.’ I replied, ‘the reason some boys turn out the way they do is because mothers don’t ask for anything in return.’ It is for this reason so many women complain of men being ‘takers’, but women forget that these men’s mothers did not provide the opportunities on a daily basis for boys to engage in the multiplicity of ways of giving as well as receiving." http://www.tonyhumphreys.ie/news/previous/028danger.html

[From PSI]

Niamh O'Byrne on behalf of Info@psihq.ie
Thursday 09/02/12 15:06
The Psychological Society of Ireland's response to the Tony Humphreys article on in the Examiner

Psychological Society of Ireland disagrees with assertions made by Tony Humphreys

The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) does not support the assertions made by Tony Humphreys in his recent article in the 'Feelgood' supplement of the Irish Examiner in relation to Autism Spectrum Disorder. PSI President, Dr Michael Drumm, stated:
"Tony Humphreys' assertions made in the article are not supported by the vast body of research in the field of Autistic Spectrum Disorders and are unhelpful and likely to cause upset. It is hoped that the article would be retracted."

The Psychological Society of Ireland is the learned and professional body for psychology in the Republic of Ireland. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neuro-developmental condition that is characterized by impairment in social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviours. The condition affects one in every 100 children.

Ends.

For further information/ comment, please contact:
Lisa Stafford,
PSI PR & Events Manager,
087 945 2801

(http://thesciencebitdotnet.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/psi_email.jpg)

[Chris]

The Irish Skeptic podcast, the Skeprechauns, had a very good rant about the article. One of the ladies, Finn, has a sibling with autism:
http://skeprechauns.com/?p=114

(it is an interesting podcast where Rebecca and Finn discuss Ireland, skepticism and feminism)

[RD]

Schizophrenia caused by childhood trauma: "Schizophrenia is not a disease, not a mental illness, not an incurable condition! Whether it is psychiatrists or other mental health professionals or Schizophrenia Ireland or the American Psychiatric Association who claim that schizophrenia is a mental illness and is either hereditary or biological or biochemical in nature, there is no evidence to back up such an assertion." http://www.tonyhumphreys.ie/news/previous/027cure.html

"In the face of considerable pressure to conform, I refused to cooperate and gradually set up psycho-social clinics separate from those of psychiatry. Eventually, I left the psychiatric services and set up in private practice and continue to work with people who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia or bi-polar depression or personality disorder or endogenous depression or attention-deficit disorder (ADD) or attention disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD) and other such hypothetical conditions.
My experience is that I can always trace the origins of the person’s ‘problems in living’ back to childhood traumas which had continued unresolved into adulthood. Much of what underpinned such distressing behaviours as paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, bi-polar depression, obsessive-compulsive behaviours was buried in the unconscious mind of these distressed individuals, a necessary and creative hiding away of aspects of themselves that had been hugely violated and that would have been devastatingly threatening to bring to consciousness.
After thirty years of practice my conviction has deepened and I so often in awe of how individuals who have suffered harsh abandonments and overwhelming disempowerment managed to survive and find ways of not only reducing the threats to their wellbeing, but also, symbolically, through their presenting symptoms, communicated precisely their terror of exhibiting some or any aspects of their real self." http://www.tonyhumphreys.ie/news/previous/075end.html

[RD]

"Tonsillitis is a common condition in children and sometimes may be embodying a child’s fear of speaking out, perhaps due to bullying at school or problems at home." http://www.tonyhumphreys.ie/news/previous/049lump.html

And he cures cancer, diabetes, heart disease - "Indeed, it is now being recognised within medicine itself that conditions like cancer, diabetes, heart disease are psycho-somatic in nature and that a holistic therapeutic response is required to restore the person’s wellbeing! In America, fifty-one per cent of psychiatrists consider, what has been traditionally seen as mental illness, psycho-social conditions and that the primary treatment needs to be psycho-social in nature. Peter Breggin, the author of Toxic Psychiatry, a recent guest lecturer in Ireland, has carried the torch for a holistic understanding of human distress for a number of decades. In Ireland, there have been two strong voices that Mr O’Malley’s declaration echoes – Terry Lynch, General Medical Practitioner, Psychotherapist and author of Beyond Prozac and Michael Corry, Psychiatrist and Aine Tubridy, authors of Going Mad? Understanding Mental Illness.
In my own practice of thirty years, I have encountered every kind of human distress – depression, violence, paranoia, mood swings, hallucinations, delusions, chronic anxiety, anorexia nervosa, bulimia – and I never had any need to resort to a medical explanation for these individual conditions." http://www.tonyhumphreys.ie/news/previous/034ministersview.html

[Sharon]

Great list Liz, thanks.
Mr Humphreys, sometimes a train going through a tunnel, is just a train going through a tunnel.

[RD]

Dr Humphreys claims to be a Senior Fellow of the National College of Ireland - “The National College of Ireland, a private college located in the IFSC, has confirmed that Tony Humphreys is not a Fellow, Senior or otherwise. The NCI do award honorary fellowships but have not given one to him. He has shared delivery with some courses with the NCI, but is not a staff member.” http://www.politicalworld.org/showpost.php?p=226277&postcount=123

[Annette Kenny]

The message I got from Dr. Tony Humphries article is that there is currently no scientific evidence to prove that autism is a neurological or genetic disorder. I think the purpose of this article was to start a mature discussion surrounding autism, certainly I believe that it was never Mr. Humphries intention to hurt anyone. I have read a number of his books and he has always maintained that parents do the best they can with the knowledge and understanding that they have. (If you read the article carefully he has not blamed or critised parents for their children's behaviour or autism in any way)

My understanding of the article is that basically what he is suggesting is that people need to have a holistic approach to autism which takes the environment and relationships of the individual into account, before a final diagnosis is given. Surely this is not too much of a burden for Society to take on and if it is we need to ask the question why?

In my opinion a diagnosis says more about the person/doctor giving the diagnosis rather than the person being diagnosed. If this is true then the question we need to be asking is "how is it that we accept these diagnosis's so readily"?

[Sharon]

Annette Kenny,
I don't think we are drawing a long bow to assume he is suggesting parents may be to blame for a child's autism. To quote him,

"After all, the deepest need of every child is to be unconditionally loved and the absence of it results in children shutting down emotionally themselves because to continue to spontaneously reach out for love would be far too painful.

Children's wellbeing mostly depends on emotional security - a daily diet of nurture, love, affection, patience, warmth, tenderness, kindness and calm responses to their expressed welfare and emergency feelings. To say that these children have a genetic and/or neurobiological disorder called autism or ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) only adds further to their misery and condemns them to a relationship history where their every thought and action is interpreted as arising from their autism."

The fact is autism is a neurobiological disorder. It is genetically based. And our children are dearly loved.

[Digging with a shovel called Mammy]

Full text of Tony Humphreys on the Marian Finucane Show yesterday is on Irish Autims Action's Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/Irishautism/posts/366224463390852

[Ivor]

Annette, you are a charitable reader. Only a sockpuppet could have responded to the article with more charity.

[Dr Hyde]

I would like to focus on some action. I have no hope for Dr Tony Humphreys acting. I would like the following:

1) The HSE, PSI, Department of Health - State whether Humphreys is entitled to use the terms "consultant clinical psychologist" or "clinical psychologist" or even plain "psychologist" to describe himself. He is not a registered psychologist and probably has not met the training requirements for clinical practice. Does his use of the titles comply with the Health & Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2005/en/act/pub/0027/print.html)
and the Psychological Society of Ireland (www.psihq.ie) accreditation of Clinical Psychologist guidelines? (http://www.psihq.ie/ACCRED%20-New%20PSI%20Clinical%20Acc%20Guidelines%20-%20Jan%20%2709.pdf)

2) The Irish Examiner - Retract the article. The Examiner has removed the article without comment or explanation (and despite a defence of freedom of speech). Dr Andrew Wakefield's retracted paper on autism remains on the Lancet website with the word "RETRACTED" in large red type (http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2897%2911096-0/abstract) and accompanied by an editorial explaining precisely why it has been retracted (http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2810%2960175-4/fulltext).

3) The Irish Examiner (and all news outlets) - Do not permit "experts" to style themselves with unverified titles and expertise.

4) University College Cork - Restrict Dr Humphreys titles to those appropriate to an university psychologist, prevent his use of the university for advertising his private enterprises and ensure that he does not teach material in direct conflict with the Psychological Society of Ireland guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of autistic spectrum disorder (unless he wishes to formally state that has exited the psychological profession).

[Lisamareedom]

We did another full hour on the radio on Newstalk106
Father of Autistic Twins talks to Tom - Newstalk.ie http://ec2-176-34-204-39.eu-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com/2012/featured-5-slideshow-homepage/eric-isherwood-father-of-autistic-twins-talks-to-tom/ via @Newstalkfm

Very positive Dad

[Anon]

Good article from P.J. Coogan in the Cork Independent today - http://corkindependent.com/stories/item/7477/2012-7/Man-up,-Tony

"Even more baffling, however, was Tony Humphreys' reaction, in the only interview he has given since the article was first published in the Examiner. He told Claire Byrne – who in fairness to her, gave him a good 'going over', that “I thought this was a good news story, that parent don't have to worry about passing on their bad genes to their children...” That led me to see his third mistake. As a psychologist, one is surely supposed to have an insight into how people think, and how their minds work. Did he read over his article, and analyse for himself how a devastated parent, strapped into that emotional rollercoaster I referred to earlier, might react to it? Obviously not.

I'm not a psychologist or a psychiatrist. I'm not an academic. I'm just a Dad, but I'll tell you this much – I have forgotten more about my son's Autism and how it affects him, than Tony Humphreys will ever know. He owes me, and thousands of parents like me, a humble apology."

[Anon]

@Lizditz: Can you add the excellent Irish Times media review of the week http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2012/0218/1224311952193.html (starting at the 7th paragraph) to your list please?

[Nicole Gamble]

Thanks so much for the post.Really looking forward to read more. Want more.

[Bill Domican]

http://tribune.maithu.com/archive/article/2003/jan/19/simply-despicable/
Here TH explains (in court) how he has cured a celebrity of viewing internet child porn despite only having been consulted weeks prior to the same man being caught in a police sting operation. The man had been an active user of this material for more than four years. TH described him as a rescuer and a man who had made a mistake and would not reoffend.

[Anon]

Horrifying as that paedophile "cure" is, I am much more horrified that Tony Humphreys is teaching parents with autistic children that they caused the autism. From the Marian Finucane show with Claire Byrne (CB):

CB: But is that what you teach parents in your classes, that if they respond differently to children in the family, that they will develop, that they will have developmental problems?
TH: That if they respond, how do I put it, if they respond to the communication that children make, because children never stop communicating - neither do adults, for that matter - if we respond to how children communicate and pick up the needs that they are trying to communicate in the behaviours they show, of course children then feel secure and they continue to communicate openly with us. If we miss what they communicate, very often the child, very cleverly and wisely and unconsciously, will shut down putting that need out there because they haven't been responded to.
CB: But what she heard from her course is ...
TH: But the whole thing is that when you realise it, if you now come to realise it, like Patricia did, and you now begin to attend, the child then begins to express the need again.
CB: So she now believes that her child has a developmental disorder because she responded to him in a way that wasn't supportive enough and was different to the way that she responded to her daughter, and that's what you taught her?
TH: No, no. I wouldn't have used the word "developmental disorder", because I don't think that children have disorders, right, I think that children, right, have ways of communicating and when a need is not met, they find a way to communicate about that need not being met and if we continue, if we then can pick up on that communication, then the child will come forward. I mean I have a situation there recently where a mother realised that she hadn't been making eye contact with her child. Now you know with babies, they make the most amazing eye contact with us, right, because they need us first to see them and to respond to them. But she had realised that she hadn't been making eye contact and she just picked it up during the lecture. When she went home - she was a lone parent - she began to make very strong eye contact with her child. She said within a week, the relationship between them was transformed.

[Anon]

His appearance on TV3 Ireland AM this morning (Friday) did not go spectacularly well! He is now known as Tony Autism-is-only-theory: http://www.thejournal.ie/autism-is-a-theory-tony-humphreys-defends-controversial-examiner-article-364800-Feb2012/

[C_oreilly]

This is a great collation of everything that was said and will be a useful resource if anyone ever dares to spout such rubbish again - and thank you for including my piece x

[Anon]

Huffington Post 2 March:

While the refrigerator parent theory of autism was largely abandoned during the 1970s, there are still a few die-hard supporters across Europe and South Korea. Not surprisingly, parents of autistic children still react angrily to any suggestion that flawed parenting causes autism. In a recent statement, Irish Minister of Health James Reilly publicly attacked psychologist Tony Humphreys over a column in the Irish Examiner suggesting that children developed autism to "defend themselves against the absence of expressed love and affection and emotional receptivity." Dr. Reilly, the father of an autistic child, blasted Dr. Humphreys saying that his remarks were "utterly outrageous. The hurt that he caused people is absolutely astonishing."

[Michael]

Haven't read the linked alrtcie yet but have to say having heard the same Tony Humphries talk on parenting and emotional damage to children some years ago I have very little or no regard for his clinical psychology nor do any nurses I have worked with or known. The danger is that he is given credibility by those who take him at face value. I will read the alrtcie now. Don't be taken in by it, or waste your anger on ranting, just a measured response like you gave in your post. I can see where Gayle is coming from, her own experience can't be dismissed but she sees it as different from autism, this reactive attachment disorder.