Perspective: Presuming Autistic Communication Competence and Reframing Facilitated Communication

Area of Science:

• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
• Autism Research
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Facilitated Communication (FC) has been controversial since the 1990s, with polarized views on its validity for individuals with complex communication needs (CCN).
• Existing research and perspectives often dismiss FC as unevidenced, potentially due to outdated or ableist approaches.
• Autistic adults who use FC offer valuable lived experience knowledge that challenges its discredited standing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze existing research and lived experiences concerning Facilitated Communication (FC).
• To challenge the current dismissal of FC as discredited and unevidenced.
• To advocate for a reconsideration and reconduction of FC research using contemporary, ethical autism research methodologies.

Main Methods:

• A critical analysis of extant qualitative and quantitative research on FC.
• Inclusion of personal accounts and lived experiences from autistic adults who utilize FC.
• Evaluation of current research practices in autism and their applicability to FC studies.

Main Results:

• The current dismissal of FC appears rooted in ableist and outdated research paradigms.
• Lived experiences of autistic adults provide crucial counter-evidence to the discrediting of FC.
• There is a need to move beyond polarized debates towards a more nuanced understanding of FC.

Conclusions:

• FC should not be summarily dismissed; its validity as an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) method warrants further investigation.
• Future research must adopt best practices in autism research, including co-production and a presumption of communication competence.
• Reconsidering FC research is essential for supporting the communication rights and autonomy of autistic individuals.