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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 318 158 EC 230 560 TITLE the Language DOCUMENT RESUME ED 318 158 EC 230 560 TITLE The Language of Pain: PerFpecti.ves on Behaviour Management. INSTITUTION G. Allan Roeher Inst., Toronto (Ontario). REPORT NO ISBN-0-920121-36-5 PUB DATE 88 NOTE 179p. AVAILABLE FROM G. Allan Roeher Institute, 4700 Keele St., Kinsmen Building, York University, Downsview, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3 ($14.95). PUB TYPE Books (010) -- Viewpoints (120) -- Collected Works General (020) EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS Advocacy; Behavior Change; *Behavior Modification; Case Studies; *Ethics; Foreign Countries; *Mental Retardation; Opinions; Outcomes of Treatment; *Punishment; *Training Methods IDENTIFIERS *Aversive Therapy ABSTRACT This examination of the use of aversive techriques as a form of "therapy" for people with mental handicaps includes 12 articles by specialists who argue that the use of aversive procedures is socially, ethically, legally, and scientifically untenable as well as 3 ancedotal case studies by a patient advocate and 2 personal accounts by persons who have suffered from aversive therapies, one of them a patient and the other a parent. The 12 articles have the following titles and authors: "Aversive Conditioning: Necessity or Failure?" (Tim Stainton); "The Use of Aversives: One Psychologist's Viewpoint" (Carole Sinclair); "Redefining the Problem: An Alternative View of Difficult Behavior" (Douglas Logan); "My Sister Kelly" (Mary Collins); "The Efficacy of Behaviour modification Techniques for Persons Labelled Mentally HanCinapped" ;Bill Downer); "Aversive Therapy" (Dot Ewen); "This May Hurt a Bit" (Orville Endicott); "'The Therapy of Despair': A Family Medicine Perspective" (Yves Talbot); "Legal Advocacy and the Use of Aversives" (Brian Weagant and Dorothy Griffiths); "Aversives: Differential 'Treatment' for People with a Mental Handicap" (S. Dulcie McCallum); "Equality Rights and Aversive Therapy" (Catherine Frazee); "A Self-Advocate's Perspective" (Pat Worth). The personal accounts are: "Something I Would Like To Forget," by Peter Park, and "Speaking as a Parent," by Margaret Price. The three case studies, by Jill Leach, each concern an individual in successful transition from a punitive institutional environment to "living in the community." (DB) *****************************************************;:***************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best trat can be made from the original document. ****************************************************k****************** BEST COPY AVAILABLE ./ / / U 8 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educat oval Research and Improvement EDU ATIONAL RE SOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERICi This ,for umerg hes teen reproduced as received from the personir organization originating if Jab- Il Minor r hanyes Wive been rn Kip to improve reproduction r,trantY Points of VIPW or Opinions slated in this docu merit do not necessarily represent official OE RI position or polar y "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL INMICROFICHE ONLY HAS BEEN GRANTED BY / ( . r - 1,,,_ TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Q INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." 1N4 CNC) 11/ 2 THE LANGUAGEOFPAIN: Perspectives on Behaviour Management 3 THE LANGUAGEOF PAIN: Perspectives on Behaviour Management The G. Allan Roeher Institute Copyright ©1988, The G. Allan Roeher Institute All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication repro- duced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, me- chanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in a re- trieval system, without the prior consent of the publisher is an infringement of the copyright law. Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Rioux, Marcia H. The language of pain Issued also in French under title: Un discours douloureux. ISBN 0-920121-36-5 1. Behaviour therapy. 2. Self-destructive behaviour. 3. Mentally handicapped. I. Yarmol-Franko, Karen. II. The G. Allan Roeher Institute. III. Title. RC569.5.S45R5 1988 616.85'8206'0880826 C88-095197-4 The G. Allan Roeher Institute York University, Kinsmen Building, 4700 Keele Street Downsview, Ontario, M3J 1P3 Institute Director: Marcia H. Rioux Publications Editors: Wanda Taylor Karen Yarmol-Franko Desktop Publishing: Marion Brown Canada's National Institute for the Studyof Public Policy Affecting Persons withan Intellectual Impairment The G. Allan Roeher Institute has two goals: to identify and anticipate future trends that will support thepres- ence; participation, self-determination and contribution ofper- sons with an intellectual impairment in their communities; to foster the exchange of ideas leading tonew ways of thinking about persons with an intellectual impairment. Conducting and sponsoring research, TheInstitute publishes material in a wide range ofareas, with a major focus on public policy and funding, on studies ofinnovative socialprograms and on the de- velopment of policy alternatives. The Instituteoffers training programs and workshops on topics suchas integrated education, supported work, and alternativesto intrusives. Through its Na- tional Information an,i Resource Services(NIRS), which includesa library, a book and film distribution service,and a computeracces- sible information system, The Instituteprovides up-to-date infor- mation to the public, professionals andcommunity groups. The Institute also publishes the quarterlymagazine entourage. The G. Allan Roeher Institute is sponsoredby the Canadian Asso- ciation for Commurqy Living,a voluntary organization bringing together over 400 local and twelve provincialand territorial associa- tions working on behalf ofpersons with an intellectual invairment. For more information about The G. AllanRoeher Institute, please contact us at: 4700 Keele Street, Kinsmen Building,York University, Downsview, ON M3J 1P3 (416)661-9611 Contents Acknowledgements Introduction 1 Marcia H. Rioux The Canadian Association for Community Living's Stand on the Use of Aversive Techniques 11 Something I Would Like to Forget 13 .Peter Park 1. Aversive Conditioning: Necessityor Failure? 15 Tim. S'ainton 2, The Use of Aversives: One Psychologist's Viewpoint 35 Carole Sinclair 3. Redefining the Problem: An Alternative View of Difficult Behaviour 43 Douglas Logan Living in the Community: George 51 Jill Leach 4. My Sister Kelly 57 Mao, E. Collins 5. The Efficacy of Behaviour Modification Techniques for Persons Labelled Mentally Handicapped 69 Bill Downer Speaking as a Parent 83 Margaret Price 6. Aversive Therapy 91 Dot Ewen 7. This May Hurt a Bit 97 Orville Endicott 8. "The Therapy of Despair": A Family Medicine Perspective 103 Yves r.Palbot, M.D. Living in the Community: Stephen 109 Jill Leach 9. Legal Advu.:acy and the Use of Aversives 115 Brian Weagant and Dorothy Griffiths 10.Aversives: Differential "Treatment" for People with a Mental Handicap 131 S. Dulcie McCallum Living in the Community: Barry 143 Jill Leach 11.Equality Rights and Aversive Therapy 149 Catherine L. Frazee 12. A Self-Advocate's Perspective 167 Pat Worth About the Contributors 179 Acknowledgements The publication of this book has been made possible by the National Welfare Grants program of Health and Welfare Canada. A book of readings such as this one involves the efforts ofmany people. It is appropriate here to acknowledge the contributions ofsome of these people. The individuals who wrote articles for The Language of Pain took time from their busy schedules to doso because they under- stand the importance of this issue for the rights ofpersons with a handicap. It is not always easy to put in writing one'sown personal story. To those who did, we owe a special thanks. In addition, the contributions of Karen Yarmol-Franko, who helped to bring the book together in its early stages, Wanda Taylor, who tookon the editing in mid-stream, Cameron Crawford, the Assistant Director of The G. Allan Roeher Institute, Marion Brown, who is responsible for The Institute's desktop publishing, Giovanna Heffernan, Miriam Ticoll and Gecrges Bartoszi wicz must also be recognizedas critical to the completion of this work. Most importantly,we would like to thank the self-advocates and families who madeus so aware that their views and the views of those who raise serious questions about these practices had not been heard and neededa forum. Some of the names used in this collectionare fictitious. Introduction Marcia H. Rioux What is the language of pain? It isa metaphor fir the frequent forms of interaction between people who communicatein a way that our society does not lnderstand and others whocare and decide for these people. For some, it isa language that expresses desperation, for others, it is the expression of control and force.Above all, it is a language that expresses pain. This collection of articles looks at how aversivetechniques are used as a form of "therapy" for people with mentalhandicaps who present what are known as "challenging behaviours," Theuse of this kind of therapy to control and modify people'sbehaviours is not new. However, many people have become increasinglyaware that such approaches to behaviour modificationmay at best be ineffective and at worst destructive. Many argue that aversive techniquescan and do have an important impacton the emotional, physical and intellectual well-being of those subjectedto them. The continueduse of aversives has finally drawn out profes- sional groups, advocates for people witha mental handicap, self- advocates and the public at large to think carefullyabout the con- sequences of such treatment. Various advocacygroups have spon- sored symposia on the issue. Thepress and other media have
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