Facilitated Communication: Results from a Number of Recently Published Evaluations

Abstract

Facilitated Communication (FC) is a said by its proponents to allow people thought previously to have little or no expressive language to communicate in sometimes sophisticated ways about themselves, their feelings and their views on the world. These claims challenge accepted understandings of intellectual and cognitive disability and language development. They have naturally caused controversy, the more so since FC involves direct physical guidance being given to enable the individual to spell out messages. Such guidance may permit direct facilitator control of the content of what is being communicated. Several research studies investigating the validity of FC and the possibility of facilitator influence have now been published. All of those described here show that individuals could not communicate beyond their previously recognised language abilities when facilitators have been prevented from knowing what response was required. This evidence alone suggests that the facilitators must shape the message being produced during FC. However, most studies also produced direct evidence that they do indeed do so. There is no basis for encouraging more widespread implementation of FC at the moment.