Since the blog entry mentioned below is "public information" I am providing on this blog the following analysis (in the second paragraph) that I wrote today:
Facilitated Communication and my son Ben
As explained in more detail about 4 years ago at http://communicationofnonverbalpersons.blogspot.com/2015/08/ben-golden-communication-systems.html
My 46 year-old son Ben, with nonverbal autism, has 2 communication systems "1) Gesturing - which is spontaneous, completely independent, includes shaking his head "yes" and "no" (since age 9) and some basic Sign Language.... and 2) Facilitated Communication (FC) – FC is only used by Ben for more sophisticated communication that cannot be expressed through Gesturing. Usually Ben insists on physical support at the level of his hand and refuses to try to fade support to strive for physical independence, with the preference for a letterboard and avoiding verbal feedback except if needed at the end of a sentence. Within the past 2 years[2013-2014], Ben tried an ipad, using a program with word prediction and was able to fade support to being touched on his upper arm over a period of about 3 months, but since he did not progress to being completely independent, he asked to go back to using the letterboard."
I think everyone needs a completely independent communication system but if unable to express more sophisticated communication, meaning at an age-appropriate level, then Facilitated Communication (FC), which my son was first introduced to in February 1991 by Marilyn Chadwick or possibly Rapid Prompting Method (RPM), which was not an option back then, should be tried. Our experience in Israel since my son moved here 24 years ago is that everyone is able to achieve age-appropriate communication with FC with facilitators who "presume competence." Although FC was somewhat widely tried in the early 1990s in Israel, unfortunately the opponents of FC were quite successful in ending the use of FC in Israel, and RPM is not yet available here. I understand RPM has made it to the "Old World" (Ireland) and I hope younger people (I am 72) will bring it to Israel.
