Facilitated Communication: Miracle Tool or Manipulative Method?
Facilitated communication, developed in 1977 by Rosemary Crossley, is a method where facilitators assist non-verbal individuals in communicating, often seen as controversial due to concerns it may reflect facilitators' inputs instead of the actual communicators. Despite its supporters like Tim Chan, experts and studies highlight its lack of scientific validity, leading to calls for its ban and raising concerns over its potential harms such as false accusations.
Facilitated communication, developed in 1977 by Australian advocate Rosemary Crossley, is a controversial method where a facilitator guides a non-verbal person's hand to communicate through a keyboard.
Critics argue it often reflects the facilitator's input, not the non-verbal individual's, discrediting its validity.
Despite Tim Chan's, a non-verbal PhD student in Melbourne, positve experience with facilitated communication, experts like Harvard's Howard Shane highlight studies debunking its effectiveness.
This conflict has led to legal battles and growing criticism from notable medical institutions calling for a ban, warning of its potential harms, including false allegations.
Still, its use persists among some communities who believe in its potential.
Critics argue it often reflects the facilitator's input, not the non-verbal individual's, discrediting its validity.
Despite Tim Chan's, a non-verbal PhD student in Melbourne, positve experience with facilitated communication, experts like Harvard's Howard Shane highlight studies debunking its effectiveness.
This conflict has led to legal battles and growing criticism from notable medical institutions calling for a ban, warning of its potential harms, including false allegations.
Still, its use persists among some communities who believe in its potential.
