Facilitated Communication was developed in 1987 in Australia by Rosemary Crossley working with patients who had sustained brain injuries. It was soon adopted successfully with autistic individuals and introduced in several countries (the USA, Canada, India, New Zealand, Denmark, Israel, and the UK). Today it is used to help people with a wide range of intellectual disabilities (Down syndrome, Rett syndrome, autism, brain injury, and others).
Facilitated Communication is a strategy that enables people with severe communication disorders to learn to express themselves by pointing to objects, images, symbols, written words, or letters to spell out words. It reveals unsuspected abilities in some intellectually disabled individuals.
Autistic people once thought to have profound intellectual deficiency have proven capable—under the right conditions—of typing with one finger and writing down their thoughts and feelings. It turns out many of them had learned to read on their own, by leafing through newspapers, watching television, reading signs on the street, or picking up lessons meant for their brothers and sisters.
At first, autistic individuals cannot execute this pointing movement without the help of a "facilitator"—a person who supports their wrist, isolates the index finger, and regulates the movements without directing them.
The goal is to help the young person in difficulty communicate independently across different settings and with as many different people as possible. The physical support is gradually reduced—from the wrist to the elbow, then to the shoulder.
Like any other method, Facilitated Communication cannot cure autism. While it offers a powerful means of communication, it cannot eliminate the various challenges that make up the puzzle: sensory problems persist, social relationships remain difficult, unusual reactions to the environment and impulsivity are hard to control, and communication lacks spontaneity.
Over time, one may hope for gradual improvements in behavior. Yet the autistic person will remain significantly disabled in daily life. Teaching them to gain the greatest possible autonomy and independence in all their daily activities must remain an ongoing priority.
- Anne-Marguerite Vexiau, 1998
From the ANGSA Bulletin – n. 3/4/1994