The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) missed its own end-of-May deadline to finalize a proposed ban on electric shock devices used for behavior modification in children with autism and other disabilities, according to a report from Children’s Health Defense (CHD). [1]
The proposed rule, announced in 2024, would make it illegal to market or use the devices for treating self-injurious or aggressive behavior, affecting both new and existing devices. Only one institution, the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center (JRC) in Canton, Massachusetts, continues to use the devices, the report stated. The United Nations has condemned the practice as a form of torture. [1]
Background of the Electric Shock Devices
The devices deliver often-painful electric shocks as punishment when targeted behaviors occur, with wires and electrodes strapped to patients’ arms and legs. In 2008, an article reported that the state of Massachusetts had renewed the JRC’s authority to use electric shocks, even after the school admitted to administering excessive and unfair shocks to two children following a prank call. [2]
In that incident, a former student called the center in the middle of the night posing as an administrator, which led to the improper use of the devices. [2] The use of electric shock collars for dogs has been banned in England and Scotland, with former Scottish Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham stating that causing pain to dogs with inappropriate training methods is completely unacceptable. [3]
Opposition and Support for the Ban
Disability advocates and human rights organizations have sought to ban the devices for decades. The United Nations report condemned the practice as torture. [1] In February 2013, a JRC survivor reached out to an activist via email to discuss the abuses, according to the book “Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement.” The recipient circulated the message anonymously to increase consciousness of the center’s practices. [4]
The use of electroshocks in psychiatric settings has historically been criticized. One account from “THE HIDDEN SIDE OF PSYCHIATRY” describes a patient who was tricked into a psychiatric institution, stripped of his clothes and dignity, and given more than 20 electroshocks. [5]
Some parents have publicly supported the shock therapy at the JRC, claiming it is the only treatment that has altered their children’s behavior. However, the FDA has stated there is no strong evidence that the devices effectively reduce targeted behaviors. [1]
Current Status and Uncertainty
The FDA did not respond to a request for comment on why it has not issued a decision or if it plans to do so, according to the CHD report. [1] The agency’s proposed ban has a history of political shifts. It was advanced under the Biden administration but halted under the Trump administration, though specific details were not included in the available sources.
The JRC continues to operate 50 residences in Massachusetts with 347 residents, 54 of whom receive shock treatments, according to the report. [1] The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in September 2023 that the center could continue shocking children, adding to the legal complexity, though this ruling was not detailed in the provided sources.
Conclusion
The FDA’s missed deadline leaves the future of the proposed rule uncertain, with no clear timeline for a decision. The JRC remains the only facility in the U.S. using the devices, continuing to shock 54 residents as of the last report. [1] The controversy highlights ongoing debates over the use of aversive therapies in behavior modification for vulnerable populations, with advocates demanding a ban and some parents defending the practice as a last resort. [1] [4]
References
- Children’s Health Defense. “FDA Misses Deadline to Ban Electric Shock Devices for Children With Autism.” June 4, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. “Gitmo For U.S. Children Center for Retarded.” June 23, 2008.
- NaturalNews.com. “Electric Shock Collars Banned in England.” April 4, 2019.
- Steven K. Kapp. “Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement.”
- Administrator. “THE HIDDEN SIDE OF PSYCHIATRY.”
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