Facilitated Communication with Young Adults: Issues and Transitions

This study examined the implications of Facilitated Communication with young adult men with autism living in community residential facilities. The study examined the following three questions: Can Facilitated Communication enable people with autism to demonstrate that they have high levels of understanding?; Does Facilitated Communication succeed with some people with autism and not others?; Can there by any breakthrough in expressive communication as a result of this training procedure? Following initial training in Facilitated Communication, the project directors followed the communication attempts between three young men ages 25-29 and their group home staff for a six-month period. Notes from monthly meetings, videotaped recordings, transcripts of the actual communication sessions and exit interviews with staff and administration were recorded and analyzed.