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claim is truthful. If a claim for <strong>the</strong> restoration
of functions is made, at least two thorough
between-group design experiments should be
expected. With more modest claims, a series
of single-case experiments (preferably with a
waiting-list control group) would be sufficient.
It is also possible that <strong>the</strong> positive anecdotal
evidence for some of <strong>the</strong> interventions relates
to <strong>the</strong> social-emotional interactions between
staff and service users – regardless of <strong>the</strong> materials
or ‘treatment’. Therefore ano<strong>the</strong>r interesting
area for research could be <strong>the</strong> study
of <strong>the</strong> interactions that occur while applying
treatments such as Shantala Massage,
Snoezelen, Therapeutic Touch or Haptonomy.
In some of <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>rapeutic interventions
that are used, an ‘approach’ is stated and
no clear directions, for example, a manual or
guidelines for its use, are given. The availability
of a manual or guidelines for <strong>the</strong> use of an
intervention is necessary for evaluation. The
lack of such guidelines means that a well-designed
evaluation study will be impossible.
The above-mentioned research efforts must
be accompanied by fur<strong>the</strong>r discussion about
<strong>the</strong> treatment forms used specifically by parents
ei<strong>the</strong>r within <strong>the</strong> home (such as Brain
Net) or outside (such as hyperbaric oxygen
<strong>the</strong>rapy). This does not mean that <strong>the</strong>se types
of <strong>the</strong>rapeutic intervention should be advised
against in all cases. We need to be open to new
ideas as well as to ideas that still lack scientific
underpinning, but <strong>the</strong> rhetoric about <strong>the</strong> suitability
and possible efficacy of <strong>the</strong>rapeutic interventions
that are new or have not been
validated must be replaced by empirical studies
and an analysis of <strong>the</strong> functional role of <strong>the</strong>
intervention in <strong>the</strong> measured outcome.
Thereby, we can differentiate between wellintended
but ungrounded <strong>the</strong>rapeutic interventions
and <strong>the</strong>rapeutic interventions that
are effective and beneficial and <strong>the</strong>refore may
provide sound ‘treatment’ options for people
with PIMD.
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