Facilitated communication

This article is about the pseudoscientific technique. For devices and processes that facilitate communication for people with communication difficulties, see Augmentative and alternative communication.

Facilitated communication
Alternative medicine
ClaimsDisabled people may be able to communicate by pointing at letters or with a keyboard if physically held and assisted by an expert facilitator.
Related fieldsAlternative medicine
Year proposedLate 20th century
Original proponentsRosemary Crossley
Subsequent proponentsDouglas Biklen
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Facilitated communication (FC), or supported typing, is a scientifically discredited technique,[1] which claims to allow non-verbal people, such as those with autism, to communicate. The technique involves a facilitator guiding the disabled person's arm or hand in an attempt to help them type on a keyboard or other such device which they are unable to properly use if unfacilitated.[2]

There is widespread agreement within the scientific community and among disability advocacy organizations that FC is a pseudoscience.[3] Research indicates that the facilitator is the source of the messages obtained through FC, rather than the disabled person. The facilitator may believe they are not the source of the messages due to the ideomotor effect, which is the same effect that guides a Ouija board and dowsing rods.[4][5] Studies have consistently found that FC is unable to provide the correct response to even simple questions when the facilitator does not know the answers to the questions (e.g., showing the patient but not the facilitator an object).[6] In addition, in numerous cases disabled persons have been assumed by facilitators to be typing a coherent message while the patient's eyes were closed or while they were looking away from or showing no particular interest in the letter board.[7]

Facilitated communication has been called "the single most scientifically discredited intervention in all of developmental disabilities".[8] Some promoters of the technique have claimed that FC cannot be clearly disproven because a testing environment might cause the subject to lose confidence.[9] However, there is a scientific consensus that facilitated communication is not a valid communication technique, and its use is strongly discouraged by most speech and language disability professional organizations.[3] There have been a large number of false abuse allegations made through facilitated communication.

  1. ^ Vyse, Stuart (7 August 2018). "Autism Wars: Science Strikes Back". Skeptical Inquirer Online. Skeptical Inquirer. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  2. ^ Auerbach, David (12 November 2015). "Facilitated Communication Is a Cult That Won't Die". Slate. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  3. ^ a b Hemsley, Bronwyn; Bryant, Lucy; Schlosser, Ralf; Shane, Howard; Lang, Russell; Paul, Diane; Benajee, Meher; Ireland, Marie (2018). "Systematic review of facilitated communication 2014-2018 finds no new evidence that messages delivered using facilitated communication are authored by the person with the disability". Autism and Developmental Language Impairments. 3: 239694151882157. doi:10.1177/2396941518821570.
  4. ^ Lilienfeld; et al. (26 February 2015). "Why debunked autism treatment fads persist". Science Daily. Emory University. Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  5. ^ Ganz, Jennifer B.; Katsiyannis, Antonis; Morin, Kristi L. (February 2017). "Facilitated Communication: The Resurgence of a Disproven Treatment for Individuals With Autism". Intervention in School and Clinic. 54: 52–56. doi:10.1177/1053451217692564.
  6. ^ Montee, B B; Miltenberger, R G; Wittrock, D; Watkins, N; Rheinberger, A; Stackhaus, J (1995). "An experimental analysis of facilitated communication". Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 28 (2): 189–200. doi:10.1901/jaba.1995.28-189. PMC 1279809. PMID 7601804.
  7. ^ Goldacre, Ben (5 December 2009). "Making contact with a helping hand". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 May 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wichert was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Palfreman, Jon (19 October 1993). "Frontline: Prisoners of Silence". PBS. WGBH Educational Foundation. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018.