How Teachers Confirm the Authorship of Facilitated Communication: A Portfolio Approach

Abstract

Facilitated communication has been characterized as an alternative to speech that involves providing physical and emotional support to individuals with severe communication impairments as they type or point to letters or pictures (Biklen, 1993). The method has been described as relevant for individuals who cannot speak, whose speech is extremely limited (e.g., echolalic, comprising a few words) and who cannot point independently and reliably (Biklen, Morton, Gold, Berrigan, & Swaminathan, 1992; Crossley 1992). Qualitative and controlled studies of the method demonstrate its usefulness for some individuals and that facilitators may influence the communication of some individuals. This qualitative study of seven speech and language teachers and classroom teachers working with 17 students, focused on how and on what basis the teachers determined for themselves that the words typed were authored by their students and not by them, the facilitators. The teachers provided and described evidence for 13 of the 17 students of message passing skills (i.e., typing information not known to their facilitators that could be verified as accurate). The teachers noted that 3 of these 13 and 4 of the total 17 achieved some independent typing beyond typing their names and the date. Sixteen of the 17 students were judged by their teachers to have confirmed their typing/communication ability by virtue of other features: unique physical characteristics in typing or pointing, personal themes, recurring phrases, and stylistic qualities. These features appeared in their individual work but not in others, even though several shared facilitators. These findings suggest the potential value of a communication portfolio approach to documenting individuals' abilities to communicate with facilitation.

Self-Determination for Individuals with the Most Severe Disabilities: Moving beyond Chimera

“…FC refers to an alternative communication system that involves a communication partner (facilitator) who provides physical and emotional support to a person with a severe communication impairment as he or she types on a keyboard or points to symbols (Biklen, 1990;Biklen, Saha, & Kliewer, 1995). This method has been met with both unqualified acceptance by those who believe that FC has given a voice to individuals who have never meaningfully communicated, as well as extreme criticism by those who question the validity of the communication system.…”

“…In response to the dangers of misinterpretation of messages, Biklen, Saha, and Kliewer (1995) designed a communication portfolio to reflect the various ways that each student may be communicating. In this approach, teachers collect cumulative information to authenticate each student's communication.…”

A survey of the use of facilitated communication in community agencies serving persons with developmental disabilities

“…However, the fact that 18% of our sample reported that they continue to use FC may not be surprising when recent studies of a qualitative nature are taken into account (e.g. Biklen, 1990;1992;Biklen & Duchan, 1994;Biklen, Saha, & Kliewer, 1995). The qualitative body of literature attempts to support FC through the used of case studies, testimonials, and personal accounts.…”

Statistical Analysis of Textual Data from Corpora of Written Communication – New Results from an Italian Interdisciplinary Research Program (EASIEST)

“…Jacobson et al 1995;Mostert, 2001). The issue of authorship attribution in the context of written conversations produced during FC sessions derives from two contrasting views: communication may be the outcome of a facilitator's cueing (Green, 1994, Wheeler, Jacobson, Paglieri, & Schwartz, 1993, or it may be the genuine, intentional output of an IWA; for the latter to be true, the IWA must presumably have the necessary competence (Biklen & Burke, 2006;Biklen, Saha, & Kliewer, 1995;Cardinal, Hanson, & Wakeham, 1996;Mirenda, 2008). Controlled studies have established that the facilitator does have an influence (Mostert, 2001) and proponents of FC have acknowledged that cueing (be it deliberate or subconscious) does occur, but controlled studies have also established authentic authorship (Weiss et al 1996;Cardinal et al 1996).…”