Comments and a personal reflection on the persistence of facilitated communication

@article{Mirenda2014CommentsAA,
  title={Comments and a personal reflection on the persistence of facilitated communication},
  author={Pat Mirenda},
  journal={Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention},
  year={2014},
  volume={8},
  pages={102 - 110}
}
  • P. Mirenda
  • Published 3 April 2014
  • Psychology
  • Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention
Abstract In a recent article, Lilienfeld, Marshall, Todd, and Shane (2015) provided a detailed account of the history of facilitated communication (FC), the research demonstrating its lack of credibility as a communication technique, and the reasons FC continues to be used despite the lack of scientific evidence to support its use. This paper builds on the previous account by offering both a personal reflection and additional explanations for the persistence of misinformation about FC. Based on… 
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Background Citations
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Methods Citations
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8 Citations

EBP Speakers Corner: A revised imperative for curbing the lie of facilitated communication
Abstract Lilienfield, Marshall, Todd, and Shane present a useful portrait of the continued promulgation of facilitated communication (FC) as an effective intervention for persons with severe autism…
“Attention: Myth Follows!” Facilitated Communication, Parent and Professional Attitudes towards Evidence-based Practice, and the Power of Misinformation
Abstract Facilitated Communication (FC) is a non-evidence-based intervention with documented dangers that continues to be used with some children with autism spectrum disorders. In this response to…
Social media and social marketing in relation to facilitated communication: Harnessing the affordances of social media for knowledge translation
Abstract In this reply to Lilienfeld, Marshall, Todd, and Shane (2015) we provide a social marketing perspective on ways that facilitated communication (FC) is presented and discussed on social media…
Systematic review of facilitated communication 2014–2018 finds no new evidence that messages delivered using facilitated communication are authored by the person with disability
TLDR
A systematic review of the literature on FC published between 2014 and 2018 found no new studies on authorship and there remains no evidence that FC is a valid form of communication for individuals with severe communication disabilities.
Facilitated communication, Anna Stubblefield and disability studies
Abstract This article discusses the case of Anna Stubblefield, a US disability studies scholar and Professor of Ethics at Rutgers University who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually…
Methodological advances, opportunities, and challenges in AAC research
TLDR
The state of the science in behavioral AAC research is examined with specific regard to changes and opportunities in research methodology.
Eye-tracking reveals agency in assisted autistic communication
TLDR
The speed, accuracy, timing, and visual fixation patterns suggest that participants pointed to letters they selected themselves, not letters they were directed to by the assistant, and the blanket dismissal of assisted autistic communication is unwarranted.
Expert Perspectives on Using Mainstream Mobile Technology for School-Age Children Who Require Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): A Policy Delphi Study.
TLDR
The results indicated that a very strong case can be made that mainstream mobile devices have several advantages over traditional AAC systems, not only in their affordability, but also transparency and social acceptance by providing an ideal medium for inclusion in mainstream settings.

References

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This article is a response to the most recent media coverage of sexual abuse allegations against parents obtained through Facilitated Communication (FC). Some parents, caregivers, educators, and…
Interaction involving individuals using augmentative and alternative communication systems: State of the art and future directions
This paper reviews the research which has considered the interaction patterns of individuals using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems and highlights the major methodological…
The persistence of fad interventions in the face of negative scientific evidence: Facilitated communication for autism as a case example
Abstract Communication disorder and mental health professionals may assume that once novel clinical techniques have been refuted by research, they will be promptly abandoned. Using facilitated…
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