Although positive peer relationships can facilitate the academic learning, skill development, and emotional well-being of students with complex communication challenges, few peer interactions are likely to take place in school settings apart from intentional intervention and support efforts. We conducted a systematic review to identify and examine…

This paper addresses questions raised about the validity of facilitated communication with autistic individuals and others having severe disabilities and offers examples from the authors' program to support the validity of facilitated communication. Published studies showing a high rate of unfounded claims of abuse under facilitated communication…

This response to Green and Shane (EC 609 759) and Biklen and Duchan (EC 609 760) on facilitated communication (FC) with people having severe disabilities addresses the importance of evaluating FC from a variety of research traditions; of focusing on the practical issues of families, teachers, and clinicians; and of solving the issue of authorship.…

This article notes the dilemma faced by facilitated communication (FC) practitioners who must choose between denying their client effective and efficient communication or use an approach that has not held up under controlled scientific studies. It notes that FC descriptions that focus on social participation are more positive than those that focus…

This review of the literature on facilitated communication (FC) with individuals having severe communication disorders focuses on three major issues: (1) the history and development of FC, with varying opinions on the purpose of FC; (2) criteria for selecting individuals as having potential to benefit from FC; and (3) findings and issues…

This paper examines the evidence on whether facilitated communication (FC) enables people with disabilities to demonstrate unexpected skills, considering the efficacy of FC (including both objective and descriptive evidence), other research questions, theoretical issues, ethics, and acrimony. It concludes that the benefits of the practice have not…

This study evaluated the use of facilitated communication (FC) paired with a direct instructional strategy to improve the basic academic skills of 12 youths and young adults with autism. Results did not support use of FC as an educational tool, with subjects averaging below-chance performance in FC and both control conditions. (DB)