STORY: "Facilitated communication: From immense hopes to great skepticism," by Canadian Press reporter Michael MacDonald, published by The Journal Pioneer.
SUB-HEADING: "It has been described as a discredited cult that just won't die."
GIST: "Psychologist and professor Adrienne Perry poses for a photograph at York University in Toronto. But there was a time when facilitated communication won widespread praise for miraculously unlocking the communication skills of non-verbal people, particularly those with severe autism. Developed in Australia in the 1970s, the method was introduced to North America in the early 1990s by educator Douglas Biklen, who founded the Facilitated Communication Institute at Syracuse University in Upstate New York. The technique is simple enough. The non-verbal user points to letters on an alphabet card or types on a keyboard – but they have help. A so-called facilitator holds the user's hand, wrist, arm or shoulder, providing support and some pressure, and they usually hold the card or keyboard as well. Proponents say the added support helps overcome fine-motor difficulties that are common among those with severe autism, cerebral palsy and some brain injuries. The technique's initial popularity is easy to explain. Stunning anecdotal accounts, carried widely by the mainstream media, portrayed once silent, uncommunicative children suddenly expressing complex thoughts and feelings to their awestruck parents. But as the method gained followers, critics noted there was no empirical, peer-reviewed research to verify the claims behind this sudden, mind-boggling breakthrough, said Adrienne Perry, a clinical psychologist at York University in Toronto. "We and many other people in other countries did research on it,'' said Perry, who has over 20 years of experience in the field of autism and developmental disabilities. "Virtually all of the results from all of the studies were saying there's no evidence that the communication is really coming from the clients ... Clearly, it was that the facilitators were unconsciously – and presumably with good intentions – influencing the communication.'' In study after study, facilitators were shown to be adept at answering questions they already knew the answers to, but faltered when their knowledge was lacking, she said. "Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that FC is not a scientifically valid technique for individuals with autism or mental retardation,'' the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry said in a 2008 statement. "In particular ... (FC) should not be used to confirm or deny allegations of abuse.'' Even though a long list of medical associations and disability groups have dismissed the technique as pseudo-science, its proponents remain steadfast in their conviction that FC works – in stages."
The entire story can be found at:
http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2016-06-30/article-4575427/Facilitated-communication%3A-From-immense-hopes-to-great-skepticism/1
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.
The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.
Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to:
hlevy15@gmail.com;
Harold Levy;
Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
