A survey of the use of facilitated communication in community agencies serving persons with developmental disabilities

✍ Scribed by Tricia Cook Myers; Raymond G. Miltenberger; Kim T. Suda

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 147 KB
• Volume: 13
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1072-0847
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-078x(199808)13:3<135::aid-bin15>3.0.co;2-2

✦ Synopsis

Service providers to individuals with developmental disabilities at seven North Dakota agencies were surveyed on their current and past use of facilitated communication (FC). Perceived validity and eectiveness of FC were also assessed. Seventeen percent of the 177 direct care and supervisory sta surveyed reported that they had never heard of FC, 36% were aware of but had never used FC, 28% had previously used FC, and 18% currently used the technique despite overwhelming experimental evidence that FC is not a valid means of communication for people with disabilities. The results indicated that respondents who had previously used FC, but did not do so currently, gave it the lowest ratings of validity, usefulness, and likability, while current users gave FC the highest ratings. Current users had the fewest years of experience in the ®eld of developmental disabilities. The majority of current users said guardian approval should not be required prior to the use of FC, whereas the majority of past users and non-users said that guardian approval should be required.