Deej

Short description: A 2017 documentary which uncritically portrays a discredited communication technique

Deej

Written by| David James Savarese
Directed by| Robert Rooy
Production
Running time| 72 minutes
Release
Original release| 2017
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Alternative and pseudo‑medicine

General information

* Alternative medicine
* Alternative veterinary medicine
* Quackery (Health fraud)
* History of alternative medicine
* Rise of modern medicine
* Pseudoscience
* Antiscience
* Skepticism
* Skeptical movement
* National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
* Terminology of alternative medicine

Fringe medicine and science

* Acupressure
* Acupuncture
* Anthroposophic medicine
* Apitherapy
* Applied kinesiology
* Aromatherapy
* Auriculotherapy
* Bach flower remedies
* Bates method
* Biorhythm
* Black salve
* Bodywork
* Bonesetter
* Bowen technique
* Breathwork
* Camel urine
* Cow urine
* Cancer treatments
* Greek cancer cure
* Charcoal cleanse
* Chiropractic
* Chiropractic treatment techniques
* Vertebral subluxation
* Christian Science
* Chromotherapy
* Colon cleansing
* Coffee enema
* Colorpuncture
* Craniosacral therapy
* Crystal healing
* Cupping therapy
* Detoxification
* Foot baths
* Duesberg hypothesis
* Ear candling
* Energy medicine
* Esoteric energy
* Therapeutic touch
* Facilitated communication
* Feldenkrais Method
* Functional medicine
* Hair analysis
* Herbal medicine
* Holistic dentistry
* Hologram bracelet
* Homeopathy
* Biological terrain assessment
* Hypnotherapy
* Iridology
* Ionized jewelry
* Lightning Process
* Lymphotherapy
* Medical intuitive
* Mesmerism
* Magnet therapy
* Manual therapy
* Megavitamin therapy
* Mind–body interventions
* MMS
* Myofascial release
* NAET
* Naturopathy
* Oil pulling
* Orgone
* Orthomolecular medicine
* Orthopathy
* Osteomyology
* Osteopathy
* Parapsychology
* Phrenology
* Psychic surgery
* Psychodermatology
* Radionics
* Rapid prompting method
* RBOP
* Reiki
* Reflexology
* Rolfing
* Scientific racism
* ThetaHealing
* Thought Field Therapy
* Urine therapy
* Urophagia
* Vaginal steaming
* Vision therapy
* Vitalism
* Young blood transfusion
* Zero balancing

Conspiracy theories

* Anti-fluoridation/Water fluoridation movement
* Anti-vaccination
* Vaccines causing autism
* Big Pharma conspiracy theory
* GMO conspiracy theories
* HIV/AIDS denialism
* Discredited HIV/AIDS origins theories
* OPV AIDS hypothesis

Classifications

* Allopathic medicine
* Alternative medical systems
* Mind–body intervention
* Biologically-based therapy
* Manipulative methods
* Energy therapy

Traditional medicine

* African
* Muti
* South African
* Ayurveda
* Ayurvedic acupressure
* Dosha
* Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health
* Balneotherapy
* Brazilian
* Bush medicine
* Cambodian
* Chinese
* Blood stasis
* Chinese herbology
* Dit Da
* Gua sha
* Gill plate trade
* Meridian
* Moxibustion
* Pressure point
* Qi
* San Jiao
* Tui na
* Zang-fu
* Chumash
* Curandero
* Faith healing
* Iranian
* Jamu
* Kambo
* Japanese
* Korean
* Mien Shiang
* Mongolian
* Prophetic medicine
* Shamanism
* Shiatsu
* Siddha
* Sri Lankan
* Thai massage
* Tibetan
* Unani
* Vietnamese

Diagnoses

* Adrenal fatigue
* Aerotoxic syndrome
* Autistic enterocolitis
* Candida hypersensitivity
* Chronic Lyme disease
* Electromagnetic hypersensitivity
* Heavy legs
* Leaky gut syndrome
* Multiple chemical sensitivity
* Wilson's temperature syndrome
* Wind turbine syndrome

* v
* t
* e

Deej is a 2017 documentary about DJ Savarese, a nonspeaking autistic teenager with intellectual disability who is depicted as communicating through the scientifically discredited facilitated communication technique.[1][2] The film's unsceptical depiction of facilitated communication has been the subject of much criticism.[3]

## Contents

* 1 Background
* 2 Criticism
* 3 See also
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## Background

The film was directed by Robert Rooy. David James Savarese, known as DJ or Deej, was also credited as a director and co-producer of the documentary.[4][1] The film promotes facilitated communication as legitimate and frames Savarese as an activist with the goal of promoting communication access for nonspeaking autistic people as part of the neurodiversity movement.[5]

Savarese was adopted from the foster care system and diagnosed early in life as autistic.[6] As a child, his adoptive parents struggled to ensure his inclusion in the local public school system.[7] Eventually winning the right for Savarese to receive education in public schools, his parents framed their challenges as a civil rights struggle against ableism.[2][8][6] Since the events featured in Deej, Savarese was awarded a degree from Oberlin College for coursework completed through a facilitator.[8][9]

Deej aired nationally on PBS in October 2017.[10]

## Criticism

This film portrays the use of facilitated communication as legitimate,[11] even though it has been scientifically discredited as a pseudoscience. The documentary does not mention that science has discredited facilitated communication, nor does it mention the harm that facilitated communication has done.[3][12]

In his review, Craig Foster notes that Deej is never shown independently communicating or exhibiting his "hidden intelligence", even though the documentary implies that he does. Foster argues that "skepticism toward facilitated communication is necessary to ameliorate its harmful influence and to encourage genuine acceptance of people with complex communication needs."[3]

## See also

* Autism Is a World
* Wretches & Jabberers
* Rapid prompting method

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Inc., POV | American Documentary. "AMERICA REFRAMED UNFILTERED: Inclusion Shouldn't Be a Lottery" (in en-US). POV's Documentary Blog. http://www.pbs.org/pov/blog/america-reframed-unfiltered/2017/10/america-reframed-unfiltered-inclusion-shouldnt-be-a-lottery/.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Corley, Maria (2017-09-20). "Deej: A non-verbal autistic man raises his voice for inclusion". https://medium.com/@mariathompsoncorley/deej-a-non-verbal-autistic-man-raises-his-voice-for-inclusion-ce4de0d22a8c.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Foster, Craig (2019). "Deej‐a Vu: Documentary revisits facilitated communication pseudoscience". Behavioral Interventions 34 (4): 577–586. doi:10.1002/bin.1687.
4. ↑ Rooy, Robert (2017-10-17), Deej, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5634002/, retrieved 2018-05-20
5. ↑ iborha@newspost.com, Imade Borha. "DJ 'Deej' Savarese pursues freedom as an non-speaking autistic man in new documentary" (in en). The Frederick News-Post. https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/arts_and_entertainment/dj-deej-savarese-pursues-freedom-as-an-non-speaking-autistic/article_7036e4fb-a449-5a8a-b1f7-3910e99b3459.html.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Gabbard, Chris (2008-01-31). "Savarese, Ralph James. Reasonable People: A Memoir of Autism and Adoption." (in en-US). Disability Studies Quarterly 28 (1). ISSN 2159-8371. http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/76.
7. ↑ "'Deej' film puts a spotlight on autism and disability rights". The Arizona State Press. http://www.statepress.com/article/2017/10/spartcult-deej-screening-throws-spotlight-on-autism-and-disability-rights.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Fishman, Kate. ""Deej" Highlights Interdependence, Challenges Assumptions" (in en-US). The Oberlin Review. https://oberlinreview.org/14473/arts/deej-highlights-interdependence-challenges-assumptions/.
9. ↑ Gittin, Adam. "Student Panelists Celebrate Neurodiversity" (in en-US). The Oberlin Review. https://oberlinreview.org/10328/news/student-panelists-celebrate-neurodiversity/.
10. ↑ "'Deej' film spotlights nonspeaking student with autism | National Center on Disability and Journalism" (in en-US). https://ncdj.org/2017/10/deej-film-spotlights-nonspeaking-student-with-autism/.
11. ↑ Savarese, D. J. (1 December 2009). "Communicate with Me" (in en). Disability Studies Quarterly 30 (1). doi:10.18061/dsq.v30i1.1051. ISSN 2159-8371.
12. ↑ Savarese, Ralph. "About Facilitated Communication | Ralph James Savarese". http://www.ralphsavarese.com/reasonable-people/about-fc/. Retrieved 3 August 2019.

## External links

* Deej official website
* Deej page on IMDB

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