Additional Information

• Tips on making meetings accessible to people who communicate differently
• Articles and Publications
  • Biklen, D. Experiencing Autism: An Interview with Donna Williams, TASH Connections, Vol. 28 No. 6
  • Burke, J. (2002) Inside the Edge A Journey to Using Speech Through Typing, Facilitated Communication Institute at Syracuse University VIEW VIDEO (18 minutes)
  • Chung, P. Seek Out Opportunities Where Communication Can Happen TASH Connections, Vol. 28 No. 5
  • Crossely, R. Talking Politics: Empowering Communication Aid Users TASH Connections, Vol. 25 No. 7/8
  • Cutler, R. It’s Who I Am. TASH Connections, Vol. 28 No. 6
  • Donnellan, A.M. and Leary, M. (2002) We Need to Share Our Emerging Understanding with Those Who Are Willing to Listen, TASH Connections, Vol. 28 No. 6
  • Gernsbacher, M. Language is More Than Speech. TASH Connections, Vol. 28 No. 6
  • Goddard, P. It’s Your Move. TASH Connections, Vol. 28 No. 6, pp.10-11
  • Weiss, N. (2002) The Power of the Assumption of Competence,
  • Young, S. I Have Always Loved These Guys, But Now I Respect Them TASH Connections, Vol. 28 No. 6
  • "A Recipe for Success," A Keynote speech presented by Sue Rubin at the October 1997 Facilitated Communication conference held in Orange, California.
  • New Ways of Thinking that Lead to Valued Civic Participation for People with Autism by Sue Rubin



• Facilitated Communication
  
  Facilitated communication (also referred to as facilitated communication training), is one of many augmentative and alternative communication techniques that is used by some individuals who cannot speak or whose speech is limited and who cannot point reliably. The method involves a communication partner, typically called a facilitator (e.g. teacher, friend, parent) providing physical and emotional support as the person points at pictures, letters, words, or other symbols.
  
  The method has been controversial. In some research studies, individuals using facilitation have not demonstrated that they were able to convey their own thoughts through the method. Some studies have revealed that individuals could be influenced by or pick up on cues from their facilitators. In other studies, individuals have demonstrated the ability to express their own ideas and to do so without influence or cue seeking. Others have progressed from supported to independent typing.
  
  The question of authorship can become particularly controversial when the subject of what has been communicated concerns sensitive issues. Such topics may include, for example, preferences about living arrangements, allegations of abuse, and selection of personal assistants.
  
  Individuals who currently use Facilitated Communication and have been part of the “Breaking the Barriers” Initiative:
  
  
  • Regard access to alternative means of expression as an individual right.
  • Encourage people to become informed about the complexities of facilitated communication training and practice; and to stay informed of new research and practice throughout the facilitated communication training process.
  • Encourage rigorous and ongoing training for people who decide to become facilitators.
  • Urge adequate allocation of funding to train facilitators, ensure adequate compensation, and provide mechanisms for ongoing support.
  • Urge the Certification of facilitators as a mechanism to ensure quality and oversight.
  • Request national organizations that focus on speech and communication to accept the right to communicate, and to endorse Facilitated Communication as a valid option for alternative and augmentative communication.
  • Encourage facilitators to work in collaboration with individuals with severe disabilities to find ways of monitoring authorship when using facilitation. To this end, encourages use of multiple strategies, including, for example; empirical research methods (qualitative and quantitative) and transitioning to independent typing.
  • Urge that when allegations of abuse or other sensitive communications occur, facilitators and others seek clarification of the communication and work to ensure that users of facilitation are given the same access to legal and other systems that are available to persons without disabilities.
  
  
  It is important not to silence those who could prove their communication competence while using facilitation or any other method of expression.
  
  Selected Readings Related to Facilitated Communication
  This annotated bibliography is not intended to be a comprehensive bibliography. Rather it includes the major books on the topic and many research and commentary articles. Among the research articles emphasis is given to those studies in which facilitated communication users were able to confirm their communicative competence with the method; also included are several often-cited studies in which researchers were unable to confirm the effectiveness of facilitation.



• Disability Policy Resources
  
  

  A Comprehensive Disability Policy website went online on September 1, 2003 containing training materials, policy papers and policy briefs prepared by ROBERT "BOBBY" SILVERSTEIN. Bobby is the Director of the Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy (CSADP) in Washington, D.C. and former staff director and chief counsel to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy, chaired by Senator Tom Harkin. The address for the website is: http://www.disabilitypolicycenter.org. The website is organized by relevant topic areas. The following topics are included:
  
  

  • Advocacy Training Materials
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • Disability Policy, In General
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
  • Olmstead Supreme Court Case
  • Personal Assistance Services (PAS)
  • Rehabilitation Act (See Vocational Rehabilitation)
  • State Medicaid Buy-In Programs and State Work Incentive Initiatives
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  • Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA)
  • Vocational Rehabilitation
  • Workforce Investment Act (WIA)

  Partners in Policymaking ™
  
  Partners in Policymaking™ was created in Minnesota by the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities in 1987. Partners is an innovative, competency based leadership training program for adults with developmental disabilities and parents of young children with disabilities. The purpose of the program is twofold: To teach best practices in disability, and to teach the competencies of influencing and communication.
  
  National Youth Leadership Network
  The National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) is dedicated to advancing the next generation of disability leaders. The NYLN promotes leadership development, education, employment, independent living, and health and wellness among young leaders representing the diversity of race, ethnicity and disability in the United States.
  
  TASH Public Policy
  Visit this site to keep up-to-date on issues of importance to everyone concerned with policy issues for people with disabilities.