Tuesday, October 19, 2010

I challenge Rosalee Shenker to a public debate at the Oxford Dysfluency Conference on the efficacy of the Lidcombe treatment

I take up Rosalee Shenker's offer and challenge her to a public debate at the Oxford Dysfluency Conference this coming summer on the efficacy of the Lidcombe treatment .... As she said: "I will not be able to use this forum for ongoing discussion of this issue. Perhaps we can continue to ‘talk’ in another venue." Specifically, I challenge her statement Direct treatment for preschool age children has been shown to be effective in eliminating stuttering.
We need more and better one-to-one debates rather than self-glorifying and rarely challenged monologues by boring key note speakers or experts. And many clinicians need to be challenged on the pseudo-science they are engaging in. They might be nice people, dedicated and competent clinicians, and self-less fighters for people who stutter, but scientific truth doesn't care at all and results from rigorous debates without a social and PC filter, an active knowledge of statistics and fallacies, and an acknowledgement of one's own limitations.

8 comments:

Dave Rowley said...

Will I need extra security?

Tom Weidig said...

Absolutely! Too many people will turn up, because they will get an interesting exciting debate! A novelty.

Anonymous said...

she won't accept it....because you mean nothing to her. She will ignore you....unless there is financial motivation.

More importantly, why you fighting with a woman? She was nice enough to give you some attention and respected you? This is how you pay her back, she was kind to you?

and you have home court advantage....so it is not really fair.

Thought the Oxford dysfluency conference was only for professional, you are not a professional?

why don't you fight Mark Onslow? That would be a real fight, Lux vs. Aus. WWIII

You are afraid of Mark because you know Onslow will totally destroy you with his Lidcombe Atom Bomb!!!

Satyendra said...

I support this debate. It is not about winning and losing an argument- It is about getting down to "Facts" unadulterated by other considerations- in the larger interest of knowledge. The PWS, academics, SLPs, activists- we ALL will be winners finally. And I will congratulate both parties well in advance..and thank them.

Tom Weidig said...

I am challenging her statements, not herself as person.

She offered to talk at another venue, and that's what I am taking her up on.

I am not afraid for Mark Onslow to take her place. I do not really care who the Lidcombe counterpart will be. Precisely because I am challenging the statements.

Anonymous said...

Great idea, but is she confident enough to face you? How sure is she about the research?

Anonymous said...

The Lidcombe Programme has a strong evidence base!

Unknown said...

I've been working with Rosalee for three months supporting our four year old son with his stammering problem. Our son stammered for nine months before we engaged Rosalee. His stammering has reduced SIGNIFICANTLY in the past two months.

The Lidcombe Programme has been a miracle for us. We live in Geneva, CH where there are no English language SLPs who have expertise in stammering. Rosalee works with us over Skype on a weekly basis and has been extremely professional and supportive.

I agree that is is perfectly okay to challenge a person/method, but isn't it best to do it productively rather than aggressively? Also, I believe the programme has undergone clinical trials. Have you had an opportunity to evaluate this data?