This response to an article (EC 633 617) on the use of facilitated communication by a Finnish man diagnosed with mental retardation and cerebral palsy urges consideration of simpler alternative explanations (than his authorship of the texts) for the interesting text produced by the process in this case. It urges the use of double-blind, controlled…

Parents of 78 young people with Down syndrome, age 17 to 24 years, were asked whether their offspring had ever used private speech (talking out loud to themselves). Results confirm the universality of private speech and its developmental pattern. No association was found between private speech and behavior problems, communication difficulties or…

This article provides a rebuttal of a critique by the original authors of an article (EC 633 617-619) on the use of facilitated communication by a Finnish man diagnosed with mental retardation and cerebral palsy. The original authors ask for an alternative explanation to the attributed authorship when the individual himself is doing the typing.…

The controversy regarding the use of facilitated communication with individuals having developmental disabilities is addressed, and an oversight procedure for the use of this methodology is recommended, which includes informed consent from all involved, the inclusion of a validation protocol, and the inclusion of other potential means of…

A binary communication format and active interrogation were used to administer the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (Revised) to 25 individuals unable to make oral or fine-motor responses resulting from various physical and intellectual disabilities. Results correlated with those obtained using the standard form. Discussion focuses on use with…

This response to EC 633 617, an analysis of a purported case of facilitated communication, stresses the role of linguistic and grammatical analysis of texts attributed to a Finnish man diagnosed with mental retardation and cerebral palsy. It identifies weaknesses in the analysis, urges use of multi-theoretical approaches, and notes the benefits…

This paper argues that communication interventions with individuals with severe disabilities serve the point of ensuring that membership in society is achieved. The paper explores the concept of membership, including the ways in which individuals construct stories that make the communication acts of individuals with severe disabilities commonplace…

An overview of the psychological literature provides support for theoretical explanations of the rapid adoption of facilitated communication for use with individuals with severe communication disorders, despite the lack of empirical support. The influence of cognitive biases, ambiguous stimuli, biases in data, psychological influences, and social…

Describes a case study of a young man with autism, also previously diagnosed with mental retardation and apraxia, who communicated using speech, sign language, facilitated communication, body language, and his mother's conversational supports. Participant observation, interviews, and records' review illustrate his preference for speaking and the…