Things Humans Do: The Use of ESDs on Autistic Children

Authors

Jami L. Anderson

Date

2026

Abstract

On March 26, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a proposed rule (PR) that would ban the use of electrical stimulation devices (ESDs)—shock devices—for treatment of selfinjurious behavior (SIB) and aggressive behavior (AB). This PR was directed at Judge Rotenberg Education Center (JRC), a residential institution in Canton, Massachusetts, that treats children and young adults with profound intellectual and emotional impairments, most of whom are autistic. Medical evidence has well established that ESDs not only fail to treat SIB, but cause the rate and severity of SIB to worsen. This is the FDA’s second attempt to ban ESDs. Before discussing JRC’s efforts to resist ESD regulation, this article will first discuss autism and the backstory of JRC.

Recommended Citation

Anderson, Jami L. (2026) "Things Humans Do: The Use of ESDs on Autistic Children," Journal of Race, Gender, and Ethnicity: Vol. 14: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.tourolaw.edu/jrge/vol14/iss1/4