ARW – Project France

ShareHenry Bond, is an English writer, photographer and visual artist, diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. More surprising, he is a scholar who made contribution to theoretical psychoanalysis and forensics with his book Lacan at the Scene, Published at MIT Press in 2009 in which he analyzes forensics pictures in a lacanian framework. On April 16, 2012, Henry Bond offered his insight on autism and psychoanalysis in the british newspaper “The Guardian“, following the article earlier this month on the BBC. Henry [...]

ShareMichael Brooks published on April 20, 2012 a blog post in the “New Statesman”, an English political affairs magazine, on the attitude of the French intellectuals toward science. Michael Brooks is a quite famous british rationalist and science writer with a PhD in Quantum Physics from the University of Sussex. For Michael Brook, French intellectuals know nothing about science and France has always struggled with evidence-based science. He argues that “being autistic, or the parents of autistic children in France [...]

ShareToday, April 2nd 2012, is the Wold Autism Awareness Day and it is time to speak about autism rights in France. The BBC has decided to do so on its website with an article calling France’s autism treatment ‘shame’. The article is a very well researched article about some of the issues there. Excerpt: “For autism campaigners, it is one of the most serious health scandals of our times. How for decades France turned its back on the latest scientific [...]

Share  Following the court decision of January 26, 2012 against Sophie Robert, the attorney Nicolas Benoit, representing Sophie Robert and her company Ocean Invisible Productions, formally summoned “Support the Wall – Autism” on February 22, 2012 to remove the video of the documentary “The Wall” and all excerpts from supportthewall.org, soutenonslemur.org and from the Youtube account of Soutenons Le Mur. Despite a conditional acceptance of the site editor, Mr. Benoit sent a request on March 28, 2012 to Youtube to [...]

ShareThe comments of Dr. Hervé Bokobza, founder of the “Collectif des 39″ (39 Collective) in l’Express magazine have caused an outcry in the world of autism in France. On March 20, 2012, many people were quick to condemn and correct his remarks. In particular, Olivia Cattan, mother of a child with PDD and President of Paroles de Femmes, and Sophie Robert, director of the film “Le Mur” (“The Wall”) replied on the l’Express website. Olivia Cattan and Sophie Robert: “I [...]

ShareOn 18 March 2012, L’Express magazine published the views of Dr.  Bokobza, founder of the “Collectif 39”, a French organization of psychiatrists, in an interview which appeared the day after the collective demonstrated in Montreuil. Under the provocative title “The psychoanalysts fight back”, based on the views of Dr.  Bokobza, L’Express decided to present the “response” of the “psychoanalysts incriminated” by the recommendations of the French National Authority for Health (HAS). Here are a few excerpts to illustrate the tone: [...]

ShareOn February 23 2012, the NGO Disability Rights International alleged torturous practice against children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in France. It viewed Packing, the wrapping of kids in wet frozen sheets, as torture. On March 13, 2012, the organization released a new statement in reaction to the guidance (best practice guide) of the French Higher Health Authority which declared it is “strongly opposed” to packing, while allowing it for research purposes (see The Connexion article). Disability Rights International, rightly, does [...]

ShareCouple days ago, our sister organization “Collectif Soutenons Le Mur” published on its website a document detailing the reply of the French UMP (the government’s party) to an open letter they had sent to the Socialist Party on packing two months prior. This document is the translation of their analysis and quotes from the letter of  Jean-François Copé, General Secretary of the UMP. —— Surprise in this morning’s mail. Jean-François Copé, General Secretary of the UMP has remembered us and [...]

ShareThe Connexion, France’s english speaking newspaper, announced on March 9 “Victory against psychoanalysis for children with autism in France“, explaining that “families of children with autism have won an important battle against the use of psychoanalysis to treat the disorder“. Indeed, on March 8th, the Higher Health Authority (HAS) issued major recommendation on autism care in France. The Connexion writes : “The High Health Authority (HAS) has made its recommendations, promoting the use of educational and behavioral approaches that have [...]

Shareby David Heurtevent, Asperger, MA Georgetown Note: This article was first released in French here on March 5, 2012  Translation thanks to Karen Wilshin. [Picture legend: French psychoanalyst Gérard Miller with French presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon (Front de Gauche)]   Many new parents and those outside France are not aware of the strength of the links between psychoanalysis and French politics. On February 14 2012, I criticized the support of the French Communist Party and CGT Health union for packing [...]