An activist approach to debunking FC

Abstract

Facilitated Communication (FC), a controversial educational intervention touted for persons with autism and other non-communicative conditions, has reemerged as a viable educational option despite a number of earlier empirical studies that unequivocally identified the facilitator as the author of any communication and not the client. Several intersecting vectors including a current dearth of new empirical studies debunking the practice, the proliferation of questionable research favorable to FC, and the increased acceptance by academic journals of the legitimacy of FC have fueled this resurgence. I suggest a series of activist approaches to counter the acceptance of FC as legitimate educational practice.