Facilitated Communication

Patrick Tehan

The Pittsburgh Press

Facilitated Communication is a writing technique recently introduced into the United States by an Australian researcher. It is not a cure but an aid to communicating with people with autism through the use of a keyboard. A parent or teacher supports the arm of the autistic person as he or she types out the message. I followed Nicky Spinella, a nine-year old autistic, who was introduced to this new method. Nicky cannot speak, sometimes goes into rages, is unable to form social attachments and wets himself several times a day. It was thought that he was mentally handicapped as well and therefore 'unteachable.' After exposure to facilitated communication, Nicky typed in paragraphs even though he had never been taught to read or write, and showed that he was of average to above-average intelligence. Born autistic, Nicky, 9, lives in his own world.

Patrick Tehan, "Facilitated Communication," in POYi Archive, Item #20498, http://archive.poy.org/items/show/20498 (accessed November 23, 2024).