Abstract
Previous reviews of Facilitated Communication (FC) studies have clearly established that proponents' claims are largely unsubstantiated and that using FC as an intervention for communicatively impaired or noncommunicative individuals is not recommended. However, while FC is less prominent than in the recent past, investigations of the technique's efficacy continue. This review examines published FC studies since the previous major reviews by Jacobson, Mulick, and Schwartz (1995) and Simpson and Myles (1995a). Findings support the conclusions of previous reviews. Furthermore, this review critiques and discounts the claims of two studies purporting to offer empirical evidence of FC efficacy using control procedures.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES 2
Ackerson, S. (1994). Facilitated communication: A communication breakthrough or breakdown? Beyond Behavior, 5, 13-16.
Bangert-Drowns, R. L. (1986). Review of developments in metaanalytic method. Psychological Bulletin, 99, 388-399.
*Bebko, J. M., Perry, A., & Bryson, S. (1996). Multiple method validation study of facilitated communication: II. Individual differences and subgroups results. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 19-42.
*Beck, A. R., & Pirovano, C. M. (1996). Facilitated communicators' performance on a task of receptive language. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 497-512.
Beukelman, D. R. (1993). AAC research: A multidimensional learning community. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 9, 63-68.
Biklen, D. (1990). Communication unbound: Autism and praxis. Harvard Educational Review, 60, 291-314.
Biklen, D. (1992). Autism orthodoxy versus free speech: A reply to Cummins and Prior. Harvard Educational Review, 62, 242-256.
Biklen, D. (1993). Communication unbound. New York: Teachers College Press.
Biklen, D., & Cardinal, D. N. (Eds.). (1997). Contested words, contested science: Unraveling the facilitated communication controversy. New York: Teachers College Press.
Biklen, D., & Duchan, J. F. (1994). “I am intelligent:” The social construction of mental retardation. Journal of the Association for People with Severe Handicaps, 19, 173-184.
Biklen, D., & Schubert, A. (1991). New words: The communication of students with autism. Remedial and Special Education, 12, 46-57.
Biklen, D., Morton, M. W., Gold, D., Berrigan, C., & Swaminathan, S. (1992). Facilitated communication: Implications for individuals with autism. Topics in Language Disorders, 12, 1-28. †Biklen, D., Saha, N., & Kliewer, C. (1995). How teachers confirm the authorship of facilitated communication: A portfolio approach. Journal of the Association for People with Severe Handicaps, 20, 45-56.
*Bomba, C., O'Donnell, L., Markowitz, C., & Holmes, D. L. (1996). Evaluating the impact of facilitated communication on the communicative competence of fourteen students with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 43-58.
*Braman, B. J., Brady, M. P., Linehan, S. L., & Williams, R. E. (1995). Facilitated communication for children with autism: An examination of face validity. Behavioral Disorders, 21, 110-119.
*Calculator, S. N., & Hatch, E. R. (1995). Validation of facilitated communication: A case study and beyond. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 4, 49-58.
Campbell, D. T., & Stanley, J. C. (1963). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research, Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
*Cardinal, D. N., Hanson, D., & Wakeham, J. (1996). Investigation of authorship in facilitated communication. Mental Retardation, 34, 231-242.
†Clarkson, G. (1994). Creative music therapy and facilitated communication: New ways of reaching students with autism. Preventing School Failure, 28, 31-33.
Cooper, H. M. (1982). Scientific guidelines for conducting integrative research reviews. Review of Educational Research, 52, 291-302.
*Crews, W. D., Sanders, E. C., Hensley, L. G., Johnson, Y. M., Bonaventura, S., Rhodes, R. D., & Garren, M. P. (1995). An evaluation of facilitated communication in a group of nonverbal individuals with mental retardation. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25, 205-213.
Crossley, R. (1992). Getting the words out: Case studies in facilitated communication training. Topics in Language Disorders, 12, 46-59.
Crossley, R., & Remington-Gurney, J. (1992). Getting the words out: Facilitated communication training. Topics in Language Disorders,12, 29-45.
Cummins, R. A., & Prior, M. P. (1992). Autism and assisted communication: A response to Biklen. Harvard Educational Review, 62, 228-241.
Danforth, S. (1997). On what basis hope? Modern progress and postmodern possibilities. Mental Retardation, 35, 93-106.
Donnellan, A. M., Sabin, L. A., & Majure, L. A. (1992). Facilitated communication: Beyond the quandary to the questions. Topics in Language Disorders, 12, 69-82.
*Edelson, S. M., Rimland, B., Berger, C. L., & Billings, D. (1998). Evaluation of a mechanical hand-support for facilitated communication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 28, 153-157.
Ferguson, D. L., & Horner, R. H. (1994). Negotiating the facilitated communication. Mental Retardation, 32, 305-307.
Frankael, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (1999). How to design and evaluate research in education (4th edition). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
Gall, J. P., Gall, M. D., & Borg, W. R. (1999). Applying Educational Research: A Practical Guide (8th edition). New York: Longman.
Glass, G. V., McGaw, B., & Smith, M. L. (1981). Meta-analysis in social research, Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
Goode, D. (1994). Defining facilitated communication in and out of existence: Role of science in the facilitated communication controversy. Mental Retardation, 32, 307-311.
Gorman, B. J. (1998). Facilitated communication in America: Eight years and counting. Skeptic, 6, 64-71.
Gorman, B. J. (1999). Facilitated communication: Rejected in science, accepted in court: A case study and analysis of the use of FC evidence under Frye and Daubert. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 17, 517-541.
Green, G. (1992, October). Facilitated communication: Scientific and ethical issues. Paper presented at the E. K. Shriver Center University affiliated Program Service-Related research Colloquium Series, Waltham, MA.
Green, G. (1994). The quality of the evidence. In H. C. Shane, (Ed.) Facilitated communication: The clinical and social phenomenon (pp. 157-226). San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing.
Green, G., & Shane, H. C. (1994). Science, reason, and facilitated communication. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 19, 151-172.
Halle, J. W. (1994). A dispassionate (if that's possible) observer's perspective. Mental Retardation, 32, 311-314.
Harris, S. L. (1995). Educational strategies in autism. In E. Schopler and G. B. Mesibov (Eds.), Learning and cognition in autism (pp. 293-305). New York: Plenum Press.
Haskew, P., & Donnellan, A. M. (1993). Emotional maturity and well-being: Psychological lessons of facilitated communication, Madison, WI: DRI Press.
*Heckler. S (1994). Facilitated communication: A response by child protection. Child Abuse and Neglect, 18, 495-503.
*Hirshoren, A., & Gregory, J. (1995). Further negative findings of facilitated communication. Psychology in the Schools, 32, 109-113.
Hitzing, W. (1994). Reply to Levine et al.'s “Plea to professionals.” Mental Retardation, 32, 314-317.
Horner, R. H. (1994). Facilitated communication: Keeping it practical. Journal of the Association for People with Severe Handicaps, 19, 185-186.
Hudson, A. (1995). Disability and facilitated communication: A critique. In T. H. Ollendick and R. J. Prinz (Eds.), Advances in clinical psychology, vol. 17 (pp. 59-83). New York: Plenum Press.
Jacobson, J. W., Eberlin, M., Mulick, J. A., Schwartz, A. A., Szempruch, J., & Wheeler, D. L. (1994). Autism and facilitated communication: Future directions. In J. L. Matson (Ed.), Autism in children and adults: Etiology, diagnosis, and treatment (pp. 59-83). Pacific grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Jacobson, J. W., & Mulick, J. A. (1994). Facilitated communication: Better education through applied ideology. Journal of Behavioral Education, 4, 93-105.
Jacobson, J. W., Mulick, J. A., & Schwartz, A. A. (1995). A history of facilitated communication: Science, pseudoscience, and antiscience. American Psychologist, 50, 750-765.
†Janzen-Wilde, M. L., Duchan, J. F., & Higginbotham, D. J. (1995). Successful use of facilitated communication with an oral child. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 38, 658-676.
*Kerrin, R. G., Murdock, J. Y., Sharpton, W. R., & Jones, N. (1998). Who's doing the pointing? Investigating facilitated communication in a classroom setting with students with autism Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 13, 73-79.
*Kezuka, E. (1997). The role of touch in facilitated communication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 27, 571-593.
Levine, K., Shane, H. C., & Wharton, R. H. (1994). Response to commentaries of risks of facilitated communication. Mental Retardation, 32, 317-318.
Margolin, K. N. (1994). How shall facilitated communication be judged? In H. C. Shane, (Ed)., Facilitated communication: The clinical and social phenomenon (pp. 227-258). San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing.
*Montee, B. B., Miltenberger, R. G., & Wittrock, D. (1995). An experimental analysis of facilitated communication. Journal of Applied behavior Analysis, 28, 189-200.
Mostert, M. P. (1994). The more things change: New ideas, old directions? Beyond Behavior 5, 17-18.
Mullen, B. (1989). Advanced BASIC meta-analysis. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
*Myles, B., & Simpson, R. L. (1994). Facilitated communication with children diagnosed as autistic in public school settings. Psychology in the Schools, 31, 208-220.
*Myles, B., Simpson, R. L., & Smith, S. M. (1996a). Collateral behavior and social effects of using facilitated communications with individuals with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 11, 163-169, 190.
*Myles, B. S, Simpson, R. L., & Smith, S. M. (1996b). Impact of facilitated communication combined with direct instruction on academic performance of individuals with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 11, 37-44.
†Olney, M. (1995). Reading between the lines: A case study on facilitated communication. Journal of the Association for People with Severe Handicaps, 20, 57-65.
*Oswald, D. P. (1994). Facilitator influence in facilitated communication. Journal of Behavioral Education, 4, 191-199.
Perry, A., Bryson, S., & Bebko, J. (1998). Brief report: Degree of facilitator influence in facilitated communication as a function of facilitator characteristics, attitudes, and beliefs. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 28, 87-90.
*Regal, R. A., Rooney, J. R., & Wandas, T. (1994). Facilitated communication: An experimental evaluation. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 345-355.
Shane, H. C. (Ed.). (1994). Facilitated communication: The clinical and social phenomenon. San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing.
*Shane, H. C., & Kearns, K. (1994). An examination of the role of the facilitator in “Facilitated Communication.” American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 3, 48-54.
†Sheehan, C. M., & Matuozzi, R. T. (1996). Investigation of the validity of facilitated communication through disclosure of unknown information. Mental Retardation, 34, 94-107.
Silliman, E. R. (1992). Three perspectives of facilitated communication: Unexpected literacy, Clever Hans, or enigma? Topics in Language Disorders, 12, 60-68.
*Simon, E. W., Whitehair, P. M., & Toll, D. M. (1996). A case study: Follow-up assessment of facilitated communication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 9-18.
Simpson, R. L., & Myles, B. S. (1995a). Facilitated communication and children with disabilities: An enigma in search of a perspective. Focus on Exceptional Children, 27, 1-16.
*Simpson, R. L., & Myles, B. S. (1995b). Effectiveness of facilitated communication with children and youth with autism. Journal of Special Education, 28, 424-439.
*Smith, M. D., Haas, P. J., & Belcher, R. G. (1994). Facilitated communication: The effects of facilitator knowledge and level of assistance on output. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 357-367.
Spitz, H. H. (1997). Nonconscious movements: From mystical messages to facilitated communication. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
*Vazquez, C. A. (1995). Failure to confirm the word-retrieval problem hypothesis in facilitated communication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25, 597-610.
Waterhouse, L., Morris, R., Allen, D., Dunn, M., Fein, D., Feinstein, C., Rapin, I., & Wing, L. (1996). Diagnosis and classification in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 59-86.
*Weiss, M. J., Wagner, S. H., & Bauman, M. L. (1996). A validated case study of facilitated communication. Mental Retardation, 34, 220-230.
Williams, D. (1994).In the real world. Journal of the Association for People with Severe Handicaps, 19, 196-199.
Wolfensberger, W. (1992, August/October). The facilitated communication craze: The cold fusion of human sciences. Training Institute for Human Service Planning, Leadership, and Change Agentry, 12, 39-46.
Wolfensberger, W. (1994). The “Facilitation Communication” craze as an instance of pathological science: The cold fusion of human services. In H. C. Shane, (Ed.)., Facilitated communication: The clinical and social phenomenon (pp. 57-122). San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing.
Zirkel, P. A. (1995). Facilitated communication of child abuse? Phi Delta Kappan, 75, 815-817.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mostert, M.P. Facilitated Communication Since 1995: A Review of Published Studies. J Autism Dev Disord 31, 287–313 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010795219886
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010795219886