Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Aided Augmentative Communication for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders pp 115–126Cite as

The Controversy Surrounding Facilitated Communication

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

  • 3163 Accesses

Part of the book series: Autism and Child Psychopathology Series ((ACPS))

Abstract

Facilitated communication, long ago debunked, is a method that has been used with people with CCN to type messages. A “facilitator” uses physical prompts to assist the person to type or touch a keyboard or communication board. Although decades of research has demonstrated that the messages are most often formed by the facilitators and reports have found that it has resulted in false accusations of abuse, facilitated communication has continued to be promoted. This chapter reviews the history of facilitated communication and the research debunking the method.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   89.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bebko, J. M., Perry, A., & Bryson, S. (1996). Multiple method validation study of facilitated communication: II. Individual differences and subgroup results. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 19–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. R., & Pirovano, C. M. (1996). Facilitated communicators’ performance on a task of receptive language. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 497–512. doi:10.1007/BF02172272.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bligh, S., & Kupperman, P. (1993). Brief report: Facilitated communication evaluation procedure accepted in a court case. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 23, 553–557.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Biklen, D. (1995). Why parents and children with disabilities should have the right to use facilitated communication. Exceptional Parent, 25(7), 48–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biklen, D. (1996). Learning from the experiences of people with disabilities. American Psychologist, 51, 985–986. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.51.9.985.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Biklen, D. (2003). Discussion. Studies in Philosophy & Education, 22, 371–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biklen, D., Morton, M. W., Gold, D., Berrigan, C., & Swaminathan, S. (1992). Facilitated communication: Implications for individuals with autism. Topics in Language Disorders, 12(4), 1–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biklen, D., & Schubert, A. (1991). New words: The communication of students with autism. Remedial and Special Education, 12(6), 46–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bomba, C., O’Donnell, L., Markowitz, C., & Holmes, D. L. (1996). Evaluating the impact of facilitated communication on the communicative competence of fourteen students with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 43–58. doi:10.1007/BF02276234.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Braman, B. J., Brady, M. P., Linehan, S. L., & Williams, R. E. (1995). Facilitated communication for children with autism: An examination of face validity. Behavioral Disorders, 21, 110–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broderick, A. A., & Kasa-Hendrickson, C. (2001). “Say just one word at first”: The emergence of reliable speech in a student labeled with autism. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 26, 13–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cabay, M. (1994). Brief report: A controlled evaluation of facilitated communication using open-ended and fill-in questions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 517–527.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Calculator, S. N., & Singer, K. M. (1992). Preliminary validation of facilitated communication. Topics in Language Disorders, 13, ix–xvi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cardinal, D. N., Hanson, D., & Wakeham, J. (1996). Investigation of authorship in facilitated communication. Mental Retardation, 34, 231–242.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clarkson, G. (1994). Creative music therapy and facilitated communication: New ways of reaching students with autism. Preventing School Failure, 38, 31–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crossley, R. (1992). Getting the words out: Case studies in facilitated communication training. Topics in Language Disorders, 12(4), 46–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eberlin, M., McConnachie, G., Ibel, S., & Volpe, L. (1993). Facilitated communication: A failure to replicate the phenomenon. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 23, 507–530.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fields-Meyer, T., Duffy, T., & Arias, R. (2005). Autism: Breaking the silence. People, 63(14), 83–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ganz, J. B., Davis, J. L., Lund, E. M., Goodwyn, F. D., & Simpson, R. L. (2012a). Meta-analysis of PECS with individuals with ASD: Investigation of targeted versus non-targeted outcomes, participant characteristics, and implementation phase. Research in Developmental Disorders, 33, 406–418. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.09.023.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ganz, J. B., Earles-Vollrath, T. L., Heath, A. K., Parker, R., Rispoli, M. J., & Duran, J. (2012b). A meta-analysis of single case research studies on aided augmentative and alternative communication systems with individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 60–74. doi:10.1007/s10803-011-1212-2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gorman, B. J. (1999). Facilitated communication: Rejected in science, accepted in court—a case study and analysis of the use of FC evidence under Frye and Daubert. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 17, 517–541.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henneberger, M. (2005). My mind began to wake up. Newsweek, 145(9), 52–53.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hirshoren, A., & Gregory, J. (1995). Further negative findings on facilitated communication. Psychology in the Schools, 32, 109–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hostler, S. L., Allaire, J. H., & Christoph, R. A. (1993). Childhood sexual abuse reported by facilitated communication. Pediatrics, 91, 1190–1193.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, A., Melita, B., & Arnold, N. (1993). Brief report: A case study assessing the validity of facilitated communication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 23, 165–173. doi:10.1007/BF01066425.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kerrin, R. G., Murdock, J. Y., Sharpton, W. R., & Jones, N. (1998). Who’s doing the pointing? Investigating facilitated communication in a classroom setting with students with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 13, 73–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Konstantareas, M. M. (1998). Allegations of sexual abuse by nonverbal autistic people via facilitated communication: Testing of validity. Child Abuse & Neglect, 22, 1027–1041.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levine, K., Shane, H. C., & Wharton, R. H. (1994). What if …: A plea to professionals to consider the risk-benefit ratio of facilitated communication. Mental Retardation, 32, 300–318.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Montee, B. B., Miltenberger, R. G., & Wittrock, D. (1995). An experimental analysis of facilitated communication. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 28, 189–200.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mostert, M. P. (2001). Facilitated communication since 1995: A review of published studies. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31, 287–313.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mostert, M. P. (2002). Letter to the editor: Teaching the illusion of facilitated communication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32, 239–240.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mostert, M. P. (2010). Facilitated communication and its legitimacy—Twenty-first century developments. Exceptionality, 18, 31–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myles, B. S., Simpson, R. L., & Smith, S. M. (1996a). Collateral behavioral and social effects of using facilitated communication with individuals with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 11, 163–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myles, B. S., Simpson, R. L., & Smith, S. M. (1996b). Impact of facilitated communication combined with direct instruction on academic performance of individuals with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 11, 37–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olney, M. (1995). Reading between the lines: A case study on facilitated communication. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 20, 57–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry, A., Bebko, J. M., & Bryson, S. (1994). Validity of facilitated communication: Failure to replicate Calculator & Singer (1992). Topics in Language Disorders, 14, 79–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Regal, R. A., Rooney, J. R., & Wandas, T. (1994). Facilitated communication: An experimental evaluation. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 345–355.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Saloviita, T., & Sariola, H. (2003). Authorship in facilitated communication: A re-analysis of a case of assumed representative authentic writing. Mental Retardation, 41, 374–379.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shane, H. (1994). Establishing the source of communication. In H. Shane (Ed.), Facilitated communication: The clinical and social phenomenon (pp. 259–299). San Diego CA: Singular Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheehan, C. M., & Matuozzi, R. T. (1996). Investigation of the validity of facilitated communication through the disclosure of unknown information. Mental Retardation, 34, 94–107.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Siegel, B. (1995). Brief report: Assessing allegations of sexual molestation made through facilitated communication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25, 319–326. doi:10.1007/BF02179293.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, E. W., Toll, D. M., & Whitehair, P. M. (1994). A naturalistic approach to the validation of facilitated communication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 647–657.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, E. W., Whitehair, P. M., & Toll, D. M. (1996). A case study: Follow-up assessment of facilitated communication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 9–18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simpson, R. L., & Myles, B. S. (1995a). Effectiveness of facilitated communication with children and youth with autism. Journal of Special Education, 28, 424–439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simpson, R. L., & Myles, B. S. (1995b). Facilitated communication and children with disabilities: An enigma in search of a perspective. Focus on Exceptional Children, 27(9), 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sjöholm, B., & Sjöholm, M. (1994). Facilitated communication and treatment abuse. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 543–549. doi:10.1007/BF02172136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, M. D., Haas, P. J., & Belcher, R. G. (1994). Facilitated communication: The effects of facilitator knowledge and level of assistance on output. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 357–367.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sturmey, P. (2003). Typing in tongues: Interesting observations on facilitated communication do not establish authorship. Mental Retardation, 41, 386–387.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Szempruch, J., & Jacobson, J. W. (1993). Evaluating facilitated communications of people with developmental disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 14, 253–264.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez, C. A. (1995). Failure to confirm the word-retrieval problem hypothesis in facilitated communication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25, 597–610. doi:10.1007/BF02178190.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, M. J. S., Wagner, S. H., & Bauman, M. L. (1996). A validated case study of facilitated communication. Mental Retardation, 34, 220–230.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

    Jennifer B. Ganz

Authors
  1. Jennifer B. Ganz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Ganz, J.B. (2014). The Controversy Surrounding Facilitated Communication. In: Aided Augmentative Communication for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0814-1_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation