Skip to playerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
TV Hub
  • 7/25/2025
A look at the controversial practice of facilitated communication to assist those with autism who cannot verbally communicate.

Category

📺
TV
Transcript
00:00these children cannot speak no one knows what's going on inside their heads they're autistic
00:14tonight on frontline the explosive story of a revolutionary method of communication here
00:22was a means of expression for people who lacked expression here was a way that you could find out
00:28what people were feeling and what they were thinking frontline investigates facilitated
00:33communication the theory the practice and the controversy my god it's really true this stuff
00:39is bogus it's just so clear and so unmistakable i was sitting there watching this it's six times two
00:45tonight on frontline prisoners of silence
00:50funding for frontline is provided by the corporation for public broadcasting
01:00and by annual financial support from viewers like you
01:05this is frontline
01:10every american child knows this song
01:37they can feel happy and they know what it is like to feel happy
01:41but to children growing up with a strange condition of autism
01:48like these at the boston higashi school the words may not mean much at all
01:54something has gone wrong with their developing brains
01:57the children have a far away look
02:00generally they shun human contact
02:03the mysterious condition of autism affects close to four hundred thousand americans
02:14most have little or no speech
02:16eighty percent are mentally retarded
02:19while the condition can be treated
02:21there's no cure
02:22until three years ago
02:25this was the generally accepted theory of autism
02:28but then a radical and controversial new technique called facilitated communication
02:33took america by storm
02:35today thanks to facilitated communication
02:39jeff powell once written off as profoundly retarded
02:43sits in class doing altra
02:45profoundly autistic ben lair can't speak
02:59but can type his thoughts to an audience of people
03:02feel like you need patient friends like mike
03:09professor douglas bicklin of syracuse university
03:18thinks it the most important breakthrough in autism ever
03:21and is promoting it enthusiastically
03:23the theory of facilitated communication
03:27claims that many perhaps most autistic people
03:30are not retarded
03:31but have intelligent minds
03:33imprisoned in bad bodies
03:35bicklin argues that autistic individuals like ellen
03:48have many things to say
03:50but are unable to say them
03:51because her body will not do what her mind wants
03:55but with a little help
03:56or facilitation
03:57holding her hand wrist or elbow
03:59her body's often jerky movements
04:02can be smoothed out
04:03allowing her to type letters on a keyboard
04:06when douglas bicklin discovered the method
04:15during a visit to melbourne australia
04:17he realized that everything known about autism
04:20might be wrong
04:21i knew that i had seen something terribly important
04:25here was a means of expression
04:27for people who lacked expression
04:29here was a way that you could find out
04:32what people were feeling
04:34and what they were thinking
04:35and you know these were people
04:37who had a disability
04:39the very definition of which
04:41suggested that the people
04:43might not have feelings
04:44and certainly no ability
04:46to empathize with other people's feelings
04:48this was a disability
04:50the very definition of which
04:51was that people lacked imaginative ability
04:54well you know how do you do
04:57higher order mathematics without an imagination
05:00how do you write poetry without an imagination
05:03so it was quite clear
05:05that this was a means of expression
05:09that was revolutionary
05:10the OD HEC Center for the Developmentally Disabled
05:17in Schenectady, New York
05:18runs a large autism program
05:20before facilitated communication
05:26the staff never imagined
05:27that any of their non-verbal clients
05:30might be of normal intelligence
05:31but then speech pathologist
05:35Marion Pitsis
05:36heard about the new technique
05:38being promoted at Syracuse University
05:40together with her colleague
05:46Jimmy Maruska
05:47she went to find out how it worked
05:49very good
05:51what are you going to get
05:52three of us went for the training first
05:54and we rapidly trained
05:56everyone in our program
05:57all three shifts
05:58and had many many clients
06:00typing at varying levels
06:02and with varying degrees of success
06:04but it spread very very quickly
06:06I thought it was wonderful
06:11at last we were going to
06:12we were going to help these people communicate
06:14we would find out
06:15what they really understood
06:17before they were just another person
06:24that I was helping with
06:25and teaching them some basic skills
06:26to help them survive out there
06:28but here are a lot of kinds of persons
06:30that can share their thoughts
06:31that can talk to me
06:33I can talk to them
06:34we can have a conversation
06:35that's relevant
06:36it was great
06:38it was really super
06:39I mean you couldn't ask
06:41for anything more
06:41all of a sudden
06:42these people that we always treated
06:43as low functioning
06:44were right up there with us
06:46Ray Pagliari
06:49the director of the autism program
06:51realized the enormous implications
06:53of the typed messages
06:54his clients were now producing
06:56I was thinking that
06:58certainly a large number
07:00if not all of the folks
07:01that we were working with
07:02may in fact have normal intelligence
07:05very nice
07:05I mean we had people typing sentences
07:07paragraphs the like
07:08we were thinking we were going to
07:10redefine the whole notion
07:11of what autism is all about
07:13we trained the rest of our staff
07:15okay
07:16we literally were encouraging people
07:18to work with everybody in the program
07:19we were training as many people as we could
07:21training people out in the community
07:22and we were excited
07:23we looked at it as literally
07:24a breakthrough technique
07:25so did the media
07:28primetime
07:30now from New York
07:31Diane Sawyer
07:33and now a story about hope
07:35for decades
07:37autism has been a dark mystery
07:38a disorder that seems to turn children
07:40in on themselves
07:42against the world
07:43tonight however
07:44you are going to see something
07:45that has changed that
07:47call it a miracle
07:48call it an awakening
07:50word of the new miracle
07:55of facilitated communication
07:57spread rapidly
07:58parents told teachers
08:01and teachers told parents
08:03the system that carries
08:10matter
08:11from one place
08:12to another
08:13many schools embraced it
08:15at Edward Smith Elementary School
08:17in Syracuse
08:18children previously thought
08:19to be retarded
08:20now sat in classes
08:21with their peers
08:22receiving age appropriate instruction
08:25studying math
08:26studying biology
08:28plasma is correct
08:33PJ
08:33nice job
08:34maybe you can say
08:36what you want to point to
08:37a large group of individuals
08:40had in Bicklin's view
08:41been greatly underestimated
08:43simply because
08:44they could not speak
08:45or control their bodies
08:46why don't you show us
08:48and then you try to say it
08:49that's good
08:49because then you work
08:50on keeping that
08:51I had always believed
08:52that it was important
08:53to treat people
08:54as competent
08:54even though
08:57they didn't give off
08:58the signs of it
08:59to me
08:59that was just
09:00the humane thing to do
09:03that was the sensitive
09:03thing to do
09:05okay I'll give you a high five
09:06the wonderful thing
09:08about facilitated communication
09:10is that once a person
09:11begins to communicate
09:13you can ask the person
09:15what's going on here
09:16excellent
09:18you got it right
09:19the words that emerged
09:22from the electronic communicators
09:24and letter boards
09:25spoke of loneliness
09:26of being trapped
09:28in a prison of silence
09:29of slavery
09:30and of freedom
09:32for Bicklin
09:37a simple technique
09:39had redefined
09:40an entire group
09:41of disabled people
09:42Jeff Powell
09:44for example
09:44is no longer seen
09:45by his teachers
09:46and peers
09:47as mentally retarded
09:48he has become
09:49a celebrity
09:50at Baker High School
09:51in Syracuse
09:52they stress
09:55he's an academically
09:55gifted student
09:57who writes poetry
09:58for the school yearbook
09:59but some people
10:11had their doubts
10:11about facilitated communication
10:13Dr. Howard Shane
10:15has devoted his life
10:16to helping disabled
10:17non-verbal people
10:18to communicate
10:19at Boston Children's Hospital
10:22he runs a center
10:23which finds
10:23technological solutions
10:25enabling disabled people
10:26like Tony Bonfiglio
10:28who has cerebral palsy
10:29to communicate independently
10:31we have this saying
10:46in our center
10:47that no person
10:47is too physically disabled
10:49to be able to communicate
10:50the slightest movement
10:52winking of an eye
10:54moving of an eyebrow
10:55sipping and puffing
10:57on a switch
10:58on a straw
11:00would control a switch
11:01finding that subtle movement
11:05is all you need
11:05to be able to control
11:06the technology
11:07yes
11:08I have made
11:10many good friends
11:11thanks to computers
11:13thousands of non-verbal people
11:14can express themselves
11:16independently
11:16with such equipment
11:18available
11:19Shane questioned
11:20why should autistic people
11:21need another person
11:22to hold their hands
11:24Bicklin says
11:25autism is special
11:26last week
11:28I had conversations
11:30with several people
11:31one person said
11:32it slows me down
11:35it helps me
11:36by slowing me down
11:38when I'm not slowed down
11:40I get garbage
11:41I get unwanted words
11:43I get a lot of letters
11:45strung together
11:46that don't make a word
11:47when I'm slowed down
11:49I can type what I want
11:50but critics like Shane
11:56were amazed
11:57at the sophisticated output
11:58autistic children
12:00of five and six
12:01produced perfectly spelled sentences
12:03where had they learned
12:07to read and write
12:08a difficult question
12:15had to be faced
12:16was the typing
12:17coming from the autistic individual
12:19or from the facilitator
12:21the outcomes
12:23that were being reported
12:25were just so far
12:26of line
12:26with what anyone
12:27had ever found
12:28they're communicating
12:31in grammatically
12:31complete sentences
12:32they're marking
12:35the tense correctly
12:36their spelling is accurate
12:38they have insights
12:40that go far beyond
12:41their years
12:42understanding is so hard
12:44I long to see it real
12:47I just hope
12:49really hope
12:50it's not a lost
12:51ideal
12:52as I said
12:54many of the accounts
12:55coming from people
12:56with
12:56who are using
12:57facilitated communication
12:58as their means
12:59of expression
13:00have to do
13:02with loneliness
13:02I think it's rather obvious
13:04that the way
13:05in which
13:05these children
13:06learned to read
13:07was the way
13:07that most of us
13:08learned to read
13:09that is by being
13:11immersed in
13:12a language rich
13:13environment
13:13you go into
13:15good preschool
13:16classrooms
13:16and you'll see
13:17words everywhere
13:18labeling objects
13:20labeling pictures
13:21you look at
13:23Sesame Street
13:24we're introducing words
13:26we're giving people
13:26whole words
13:28we're also introducing
13:29them to the alphabet
13:30on the other hand
13:31having said that
13:32it does seem to me
13:33that there's something
13:34unusual going on here
13:35when you see
13:36a number of children
13:37with autism
13:38who seem to have
13:40precocious ability
13:41that is they know
13:42a lot of words
13:43and very often
13:45you know
13:46quite long words
13:48you know
13:49how is this
13:50is there something
13:51about the disability
13:52that allows them
13:53to focus in on language
13:54and to be able
13:55to put together
13:56words
13:58a very small number
14:00of autistic people
14:01savants
14:02have spectacular
14:03abilities in narrow
14:04areas
14:05the 17th of December
14:061974
14:08it was a
14:10Tuesday
14:11the 10th of June
14:151917
14:17it was a
14:21Sunday
14:23the 1st of March
14:272044
14:29the 1st of March
14:312044
14:32it'll be a Tuesday
14:34Noel only needs to hear
14:46a tune once
14:47and he's able to play it
14:48try it
14:58try it now
15:00if such astonishing
15:11abilities existed
15:12for music
15:13and math
15:14why not for literacy
15:15as well
15:16to parents
15:23and professionals
15:24facilitated communication
15:25had given hope
15:26where there was none
15:28they flocked to Syracuse
15:30by the thousand
15:31to learn from
15:32Douglas Bicklin
15:32and his staff
15:33at the newly founded
15:34facilitated communication
15:35institute
15:36many parents
15:58had longed to know
15:59what their silent
16:00autistic children
16:00were thinking
16:01had longed to have
16:02conversations with them
16:04facilitated communication
16:06appeared to be
16:07a dream come true
16:08she had been tested
16:11in the past
16:12and they said
16:13she had an IQ
16:13under 10
16:14and I
16:16believed it was
16:17a little higher
16:17than that
16:18but not much higher
16:19and when I heard
16:20about facilitated
16:21communication
16:21I said
16:22granted
16:22it might work
16:23with some people
16:23but I doubt that
16:24and I'm sure
16:25it won't work
16:26with her
16:26it was a college
16:28student
16:28who started it
16:29with her
16:29and I watched
16:30her twice
16:31I couldn't believe
16:33what I was seeing
16:34since then
16:35Cherise has typed
16:36120 poems
16:379 short stories
16:38she talks about
16:39everything she feels
16:40this past year
16:42in October 92
16:44a wonderful person
16:46came into her life
16:48who had gone
16:49through Doug Bicklin's
16:50program
16:51here at Syracuse University
16:52and she believed
16:54in facilitative
16:55communication
16:55and she said
16:57do you know
16:57Stacey
16:58Kenwright
16:59and I just
17:00I cried
17:03I couldn't believe it
17:04I said
17:04no
17:04you're wrong
17:06this is my kid
17:07she's learned
17:08six signs
17:09her whole life
17:10this can't be true
17:11but
17:13she kept
17:13she kept at it
17:15she said
17:15Kat
17:15she's telling me this
17:17and she's telling me that
17:18and you've got to see it
17:20so
17:21one day
17:22she came over
17:23to the house
17:24and
17:25she said
17:27Stacey
17:28I know you're excited
17:29after all these years
17:30you must have something
17:31you want to tell mom
17:32and she's
17:33and Stacey types out
17:35I love you mom
17:36speech pathologists
17:39social workers
17:40and teachers
17:40felt just as passionately
17:42that FC
17:42had changed everything
17:44it's changed the theory
17:46of autism
17:46alone
17:47and that's pretty significant
17:48because
17:49what we've known
17:50as autism
17:50is almost
17:51completely different
17:52it's almost like
17:53the label
17:54or term itself
17:55needs to be redefined
17:56because
17:57there are certain words
17:58that are under autism
17:59under the DSM-3
18:00there's this
18:01this this and this
18:01well we find
18:02that once we open
18:03this world for the kids
18:04they are social now
18:05they are appropriate
18:06they do have language
18:08they do understand
18:09L
18:10lead
18:11and
18:13advocates claimed
18:14FC didn't just work
18:15for autism
18:15but for Down syndrome
18:17and other forms
18:18of mental retardation
18:19as well
18:19by 1993
18:25thousands of parents
18:27teachers
18:27speech pathologists
18:29and care workers
18:30had been trained
18:31as facilitators
18:32the foot soldiers
18:33in a new social movement
18:35but some families
18:40had their doubts
18:41about the numerical technique
18:42like the Girardi's
18:44from Pike, New Hampshire
18:45whose 17-year-old son
18:47Matt
18:47is autistic
18:48it was about
18:51two years ago
18:52when someone
18:52mentioned that
18:53Dr. Biglin
18:54was giving some seminars
18:55on this
18:56facilitated communication
18:57the speech and language
18:59teacher at Matthew's
19:00school was there
19:01and she just couldn't
19:01wait to get back
19:02and start with Matthew
19:03Matt
19:04who could then
19:05only recognize
19:06about 50 words
19:07went to school
19:08and his teachers
19:09began using
19:09FC in the classroom
19:11almost overnight
19:12his academic work
19:13improved dramatically
19:15Kathy Girardi
19:16became suspicious
19:17of his new
19:18academic achievements
19:19he was taking
19:20all kinds of
19:22Shakespeare literature
19:23Romeo and Juliet
19:24and he was in
19:26algebra class
19:27although he didn't
19:27fare that well
19:28in algebra
19:29but English
19:29diagramming sentences
19:31the work that he was
19:33coming home
19:33was absolutely
19:34incredible
19:34incredible
19:35I mean
19:36getting A's
19:39in some of these
19:40classes that
19:40I know I would have
19:41a hard time
19:42getting A's
19:43in
19:43what seemed
19:44especially odd
19:45was that Matt
19:46wouldn't facilitate
19:47with his mother
19:47at that point
19:49I was frantically
19:50trying to
19:51communicate with him
19:53at home
19:54you know I'm saying
19:55gosh if he's talking
19:56to these people
19:57why isn't he talking
19:58to his mom
19:58you know
19:59he and I have been
20:00best friends
20:01boys and buddies
20:02I mean
20:02I'm his life
20:03and he's mine
20:04you know
20:05surely we can be able
20:06to communicate
20:07and absolutely
20:08got nothing
20:08as a matter of fact
20:09he would take his board
20:10and bring it
20:12and put it in his bag
20:13put it in his closet
20:13and say finished
20:14while the Girardis
20:18got on with their life
20:19reconciled that FC
20:20didn't work
20:21at least for them
20:22Matthew's school
20:23continued using it
20:24enthusiastically
20:25one day at school
20:32Matthew and his
20:33facilitator
20:33special education
20:34teacher Susan Rand
20:36had a conversation
20:37but it wasn't
20:38about Shakespeare
20:39later that day
20:48Susan Rand
20:49wrote down
20:50the conversation
20:50and reported it
20:52to the authorities
20:53she handed me
20:58a piece of paper
20:59actually two pieces
21:00of paper
21:00and said
21:02these are the things
21:03that he said
21:03and I just scanned
21:04through the paper
21:05and I was just
21:06in shock
21:06of some of the language
21:08that was on the paper
21:09and I said
21:10it's impossible
21:11it's absolutely impossible
21:13and it was
21:14at that point
21:15she made it very clear
21:16to me that this was real
21:17it was real
21:18that they had a warrant
21:19from my husband's arrest
21:21and they were going to send
21:25Matthew to the hospital
21:26for an exam
21:28they were telling me
21:30that Matthew may have
21:31to go to a home
21:33and a foster home
21:35and I told him
21:37I said
21:37there's no way
21:38he's going to go
21:39to a foster home
21:40I said
21:40he hasn't been anywhere else
21:41except our home
21:42there's no way
21:43he's going to go
21:43to a foster home
21:44and I was told
21:46that I may have
21:47no choice in the matter
21:48there may be no choice
21:50and it was at that point
21:52that I realized
21:53I had no control
21:54Jerry Girardi
21:57a pharmacist
21:58at the Veterans Hospital
21:59was working late
22:00that day
22:00and knew nothing
22:01of this
22:02until he arrived home
22:03I got home
22:09about 9.30
22:10I pulled into my driveway
22:12and Kathy came
22:14rushing down the driveway
22:15and started to talk to me
22:18she immediately told me
22:19not to go into the house
22:20that there was a warrant
22:22out for my arrest
22:23that allegations were made
22:25that I had sexually abused Matthew
22:27and I was not allowed
22:29near Matthew
22:29nor was I allowed
22:31to go into the house
22:32forced out of his home
22:36Jerry Girardi
22:37spent the next six months
22:38living at a friend's house
22:39his family life destroyed
22:41because of the letters
22:42on the board
22:43despite the fact
22:45that there was no other
22:46evidence of abuse
22:47the school
22:48the social services
22:49and the police
22:50all believed
22:51that the words
22:51had come from Matthew
22:52yet Jerry Girardi
22:54protested complete innocence
22:55I told Kathy
22:57there's got to be
22:58something wrong
22:58it has to be happening
22:59someplace else
23:00we had to call up
23:03the Autism Society
23:04in Washington
23:05and find out
23:06if they had any literature
23:07on facilitated communications
23:09and allegations
23:10of sexual abuse
23:12when she called them up
23:13they immediately
23:15sent us materials
23:16and in these materials
23:17it showed
23:19it was happening
23:20all over the country
23:21there were cases
23:24in California
23:25in Texas
23:26in Georgia
23:27in Indiana
23:28in Oklahoma
23:29in New York
23:30the accused
23:32included parents
23:33teachers
23:33care workers
23:34some
23:35like Jerry Girardi
23:36had been forced
23:37to leave home
23:38some ended up
23:39in jail
23:40some parents
23:41had their children
23:42taken away
23:42this is what happened
23:48last January
23:49to a family
23:50in southern Maine
23:50Betsy Wheaton
23:56a 17 year old
23:57autistic girl
23:58began using
23:59FC at school
24:00in 1992
24:01one day
24:04using a letter board
24:05Betsy and her facilitator
24:06wrote that everybody
24:07in her family
24:08her father
24:09mother
24:09grandparents
24:10and brother
24:11were sexually
24:12abusing her
24:13Betsy and her brother
24:21were immediately
24:21put in foster care
24:23while the case
24:23was investigated
24:24the court appointed
24:29a local attorney
24:30Phil Wharton
24:31as Betsy's
24:32legal guardian
24:33Wharton realized
24:37that this was more
24:37difficult than the
24:38usual abuse case
24:39before considering
24:41whether the allegations
24:42were true
24:42the court had to decide
24:44a more fundamental
24:45question
24:45was Betsy the author
24:48of the allegations
24:48or had they come
24:50from her facilitator
24:51I was most worried
24:53in my heart
24:54about where we
24:55can do justice
24:56in this case
24:56if the communications
24:58were real
24:58and she was being abused
24:59the idea that
24:59on illegal technicality
25:01we might send
25:01the children back
25:02would be just
25:03absolutely horrible
25:04on the other hand
25:05if these were not
25:05real communications
25:06the idea that
25:07all this would happen
25:07to these family
25:08and these children
25:09on a bogus idea
25:11was also unacceptable
25:12so to my mind
25:13the stakes were
25:14extremely high
25:15on both sides
25:15and it was very
25:16important that we
25:17reach a quality
25:17decision based
25:18on the truth
25:19and so what I was
25:21looking for
25:22was a clean
25:23simple and fairly
25:24quick way
25:25to just solve
25:27that one narrow
25:28question
25:28were these
25:29communications
25:30coming from the
25:31children
25:31all the parties
25:33agreed to invite
25:34an expert
25:34in communication
25:35to come
25:36and assess
25:36Betsy
25:37they chose
25:43Dr. Howard
25:43Shane
25:44from the
25:44Boston Children's
25:45Hospital
25:46must be Dr. Shane
25:47how are you
25:47nice to meet you
25:48okay folks
25:49what I'm going to be
25:50doing now
25:50Shane had devised
25:51a double blind test
25:52like this
25:53to objectively
25:54determine who was
25:55authoring the messages
25:56Betsy
25:57or the facilitator
25:59who transcribed
25:59the allegations
26:00he showed both
26:02a series of pictures
26:03and asked them
26:04to type what they saw
26:05Betsy
26:08when both Betsy
26:10and her facilitator
26:11saw a picture
26:12of a key
26:12the letters
26:14K
26:15E
26:15Y
26:16were typed
26:17but Shane
26:22wanted to discover
26:23what happened
26:24if each saw
26:24a different picture
26:25when Betsy
26:27saw a cup
26:28she didn't type
26:29cup
26:29she typed
26:30hat
26:30what the facilitator
26:32saw
26:33here we go
26:36I'll take a look
26:37at this one
26:37I want you to tell me
26:39what you see
26:40okay
26:41when Betsy
26:43was shown a picture
26:44of a dog
26:45she didn't type
26:46dog
26:46but sneakers
26:48what the facilitator
26:50saw
26:50okay
26:53okay
26:55I'll take a look
26:57at that one
26:57when Betsy
26:59was shown a boat
27:00she didn't type
27:01boat
27:01but sandwich
27:03what the facilitator
27:05saw
27:05okay
27:08here's the next one
27:09it was just devastating
27:12to watch
27:12because
27:13what you saw
27:14was the words
27:14being typed out
27:15were the words
27:16the facilitator
27:17had seen
27:17and it was just
27:19it was just so clear
27:20and so unmistakable
27:22I was sitting there
27:22watching this
27:23and saying
27:23my god
27:24it's really true
27:24this stuff
27:25is bogus
27:25what I found
27:27what I found
27:27was that whenever
27:28the pictures
27:29were different
27:30I always received
27:31the type message
27:32that was seen
27:33by the facilitator
27:34so that was pretty
27:35strong evidence
27:36that not only
27:36was Betsy not
27:37communicating
27:38but the messages
27:38were being
27:39absolutely
27:40totally directed
27:41and authored
27:41by the facilitator
27:43come on Betsy
27:44Shane then tried
27:47a message passing test
27:48he took Betsy
27:49out into the corridor
27:50and showed her
27:51an object
27:52out of sight
27:53of her facilitator
27:54Betsy
27:56now
27:57I'm going to show
27:57you something
27:58take a look at this
27:59you take this
28:00now what is that
28:01give it back to me
28:04we're going to back in
28:05I want you to tell
28:05everybody what I showed you
28:06when we went back
28:07into the room
28:08she was unable
28:08to type the word key
28:10I then took another key
28:11out of my pocket
28:12and said
28:12with the facilitator present
28:14what is this
28:15and she immediately
28:15typed key
28:16so again it suggests
28:17that when the facilitator
28:19is aware of the information
28:20we get the answer
28:22but when the facilitator
28:23is unaware of the information
28:24we don't get an answer
28:25the only logical conclusion
28:29of the test
28:29was that the terrible
28:30accusations
28:31had been authored
28:32not by Betsy
28:33but by her facilitator
28:34the Wheatons
28:36are now reunited
28:37the facilitator
28:39devastated by the test results
28:41stopped using
28:42facilitated communication
28:43and persuaded
28:44Betsy's school
28:45to stop using it as well
28:46after using FC
28:50for over a year
28:51the OD Hex Center
28:53in Schenectady
28:53began discussing
28:54whether they should
28:55do their own test
28:56of facilitated communication
28:58my first reaction was
29:00why would we ever
29:00want to test it
29:01it's working
29:02there were things
29:04that people
29:04that individuals
29:05who typed with me
29:06typed that I
29:07didn't remember
29:08consciously being aware of
29:10so I thought
29:11well that's
29:11proof enough
29:12why should we need
29:13to test these people
29:14it's their communication
29:16but just
29:20in thinking about it
29:21then I wanted
29:22the research
29:23to be done
29:23because I thought
29:24it would prove
29:25once and for all
29:26without a doubt
29:26that it was
29:27these people
29:27communicating
29:28and that we were
29:29not influencing them
29:30in any way
29:31shape or form
29:31I was convinced
29:32that it would prove
29:33their communication
29:34a team of psychologists
29:37and facilitators
29:38led by Doug Wheeler
29:39devised a rigorous
29:40double blind test
29:41this is what we had
29:42in mind
29:43it's just a simple
29:45T device
29:46the table split
29:46down the middle
29:47myself as a researcher
29:50I can stand back here
29:51and I'm pretty much
29:51out of view
29:52of the
29:52the facilitator
29:53and autistic individuals
29:55sat side by side
29:56with a screen
29:57dividing their visual field
29:59sometimes they were
30:02shown the same picture
30:04sometimes different ones
30:12they tested 12 clients
30:18facilitating with
30:19nine staff members
30:20many who were trained
30:22in Syracuse
30:22they ran dozens
30:24of trials
30:25the results
30:28were shocking
30:28we literally
30:32really didn't get
30:33one correct response
30:34I mean it was
30:36unbelievable
30:37really
30:38given
30:39you know
30:39our prior belief systems
30:40about the whole thing
30:41we had
30:42we ran 180 trials
30:44there were 180 trials
30:45where
30:46valid
30:47communication
30:48could have been
30:49demonstrated
30:49and none
30:50none did
30:51we had overwhelming evidence
30:52for facilitator control
30:54that was the main finding
30:55it's a woman
30:57and it began to dawn on us
30:59that
30:59the impact on the facilitators
31:01was going to be
31:02traumatic
31:02their belief
31:04had grown
31:05to such an extent
31:07and was continuing
31:07to grow at that point
31:08where it really had become
31:09an essential part
31:11of their belief system
31:12an essential part
31:12of their personality
31:13and people would use
31:14phrases like
31:15FC is my whole life
31:16FC is my life
31:18these people were dedicated
31:20they spent their own money
31:21doing training
31:22they spent their own money
31:22to buy
31:23canned communicators
31:24the dedication
31:26was phenomenal
31:27and we
31:29and we had evidence
31:30that these people
31:31were all controlling
31:32the typing
31:32and we knew
31:33it was unconscious
31:34we knew these people
31:35had no idea
31:36they were controlling it
31:37that was clear
31:38so yeah
31:39we began to be
31:40very concerned
31:41it was devastating
31:42to see the data
31:44just there
31:44in black and white
31:45in front of you
31:46it was mind-boggling
31:49there was no arguing it
31:50it was clear-cut
31:51to see the look
31:54on Doug's face
31:55seated across the table
31:56from me
31:56someone who I work with
31:58whose opinion I trust
31:59whose work I trust
32:00I knew
32:02you couldn't argue
32:03I couldn't argue
32:04with those results
32:05it was devastating
32:07to look at it
32:08and see it there
32:09in black and white
32:10in front of me
32:11it's like taking
32:12your best friend
32:13and going out
32:14and they're getting
32:15hit by a car
32:16and they're dead
32:18I had the same effect
32:20it's just like going
32:21through the death process
32:22I mean all of a sudden
32:23you're slapped
32:24with this thing
32:24it's not there
32:25it's a belief
32:26it's something
32:27that's ingrained in me
32:28I believe this
32:29this is
32:30I centered a lot
32:31of things around this
32:32and now all of a sudden
32:33no it's not
32:34life at OD Heck
32:38returned to the way
32:39it had been
32:40before facilitated communication
32:42the clients learned
32:46the life skills
32:47they would need
32:48to survive outside
32:49no longer
32:51were they expected
32:52to express their thoughts
32:53and wishes
32:54in complex sentences
32:55it was like
32:57something had been
32:58taken away
32:59very very suddenly
33:00and I didn't know
33:02what to replace it with
33:03it took
33:05it took me
33:06I think months
33:07before I could
33:08talk about it
33:09with some people
33:10without breaking down
33:11in tears
33:11a copy of the OD Heck report
33:15was sent to Douglas Bicklin
33:16in Syracuse
33:17I think that test
33:19has severe problems
33:20I mean one
33:22you're putting people
33:23in what might be described
33:24as a confrontational situation
33:26that is
33:26they're being asked
33:27to prove themselves
33:28as I pointed out
33:30confidence appears
33:31to be a critical element
33:33in the method
33:34if people are anxious
33:37they may in fact
33:38freeze up
33:39in their ability
33:40to respond
33:40they may lose confidence
33:41they may feel
33:42inadequate
33:43if there was a bias
33:45it was a bias
33:46in terms of proving
33:47that it was real
33:47I mean
33:48we selected cards
33:49that people experienced
33:50in their everyday lessons
33:51we ensured
33:52that the individuals
33:53participating
33:53were paired
33:54with the facilitators
33:55they had the most
33:56success with
33:57we tried to make
33:58the setting
33:59as natural
33:59as it could be
34:01we encouraged people
34:03to bring the reinforcers
34:04that they use
34:05in their normal
34:05everyday lives
34:07turned total control
34:08over
34:09in terms of
34:09to the facilitators
34:10if the person
34:11wasn't comfortable
34:11that day
34:12they could stop it
34:13whenever they wanted to
34:14more studies came out
34:16the results
34:17of this case study
34:18demonstrate quite clearly
34:19that the subject
34:21was not able
34:21to communicate
34:22using the facilitated
34:23communication techniques
34:24no client
34:26showed unexpected
34:27literacy
34:28or communicative
34:29abilities
34:29when tested
34:30via the facilitator
34:31screening procedure
34:32even after
34:3320 hours
34:33of training
34:34considerable evidence
34:36was found
34:37of the facilitators
34:38influencing the attempts
34:39at communication
34:40none of the 23
34:42participants
34:43demonstrated authorship
34:44there has been
34:45no instance
34:46in which a participant
34:46has successfully
34:47identified an object
34:48through FC
34:49these results
34:52suggest that
34:52the communications
34:53previously reported
34:54from individuals
34:55with autism
34:56may have been
34:57influenced
34:57by facilitator
34:58coactivity
34:59FC had claimed
35:03to unlock
35:04expressive literacy
35:05in nonverbal
35:06autistic individuals
35:07under controlled
35:08scientific conditions
35:10that literacy
35:11vanished
35:11to date
35:13over a dozen
35:14studies
35:14involving
35:15hundreds of
35:16children and
35:16researchers
35:17in three different
35:18countries
35:18have reported
35:19negative findings
35:20but Bicklin
35:21remains unconvinced
35:23a number of
35:24these studies
35:25have asked people
35:26to name objects
35:28or name pictures
35:29it turns out
35:30that for people
35:32with autism
35:33and some other
35:34developmental disabilities
35:36a number of people
35:38experience very severe
35:39word finding problems
35:40such that you ask
35:42people to label
35:43an object
35:44and they can't do it
35:45they may be able
35:46to describe the object
35:48even state
35:48what it's for
35:49but quite typically
35:51they in fact
35:52come out with
35:53a different name
35:54of a different object
35:55but researchers
35:58asked
35:59was it possible
36:00that a child
36:00who can write poetry
36:01and do algebra
36:02would be unable
36:03to label a cup
36:05and they questioned
36:08why autistic individuals
36:10who had appeared
36:10on national television
36:11and addressed crowds
36:13at Syracuse conventions
36:14would all be so nervous
36:16that none of them
36:16would get a single answer
36:17right
36:18despite mounting evidence
36:25most supporters
36:26of facilitated communication
36:28especially parents
36:29like Marianne Kalin
36:31who wrote this song
36:32about FC
36:33were undaunted
36:34they had invested
36:36their hopes
36:36and dreams
36:37in FC
36:37and had their own proof
36:39that it worked
36:40at least for their children
36:42my validation
36:48that it was Stacy
36:51who is communicating
36:53came a few weeks ago
36:55now my husband
36:56has this attitude
36:57about her
36:58and he's found out
36:59that if he does this
37:00it absolutely makes her laugh
37:02she just goes crazy
37:04he wiggles his nose
37:04so now when they
37:05greet each other
37:06it's like this
37:07and so now
37:08she's in love with dad
37:09and I've been trying
37:10to teach her
37:10how to type out dad
37:12and I will admit
37:13that yes
37:14I am taking her hand
37:15and I am going
37:16D-A-D
37:18and I'm
37:19please Stacy
37:20let's learn how to do dad
37:21and she won't learn dad
37:23but one day
37:25dad wasn't in the house
37:26and she came home
37:27and she's looking around
37:28trying to find out
37:29where he is
37:30and so she goes
37:31and she gets her board
37:34and she starts pointing
37:35at the board
37:36and I said
37:36what do you want to tell me
37:37what do you want to tell me
37:38and she typed out
37:39I-M-S-N-O-S
37:44I said
37:46what are you saying
37:47and it's simple
37:50it's shorthand
37:51I miss nose
37:53we have been trying
37:55to teach her
37:55the word for dad
37:57and she has created
37:58her own word for dad
37:59I don't need any more
38:04validation
38:06my son has given me
38:08a lot of information
38:09much of which
38:11I didn't know
38:13a lot of it's been about
38:14what he wanted
38:15and it's turned out
38:16that that's what he did want
38:17he asked even
38:18for a trip to Hawaii
38:19and he sat
38:21good as gold
38:22on the plane
38:23for five hours
38:23to Hawaii
38:24and occasionally
38:25he tells me something
38:26I didn't suspect
38:27like at the restaurant
38:28a few weeks ago
38:29he said
38:30he typed out
38:31look at her mane
38:32M-A-N-E
38:33well I looked
38:34and the waitress
38:35had a ponytail
38:36parents' attitudes
38:42to the scientific studies
38:44were summed up
38:44in a statement
38:45typed by Jeff Powell
38:46and read by his facilitator
38:48Sue Harnes
38:49regarding the recent controversy
38:52about facilitated communication
38:54we are extremely angry
38:56about the well-to-do critics
38:58who are giving a dog
39:00a disheartening review
39:01we are the ones
39:03saying the words
39:04and we are questioning
39:06the expertise
39:07of you
39:08and your compassion
39:09for our artistic students
39:11and please
39:13encourage us
39:14and Doug
39:15to be able to become
39:17a part of your world
39:18and the hell out of our world
39:20but there was now
39:29too much at stake
39:30whether FC was true
39:32or false
39:33had become a matter
39:33of great public interest
39:35FC networks
39:40had been established
39:40in 38 states
39:42millions of dollars
39:43of public money
39:44were being spent
39:45providing facilitators
39:47in schools
39:47and adult centers
39:48you got it Michael
39:49nice job
39:50good
39:52plans were being made
39:53for people to take
39:54their facilitators
39:54to college
39:55and even into the workplace
39:57all this had happened
39:59without any public debate
40:01try again
40:01from public prosecutors
40:04to special educators
40:05from social workers
40:07to parents
40:08in their enthusiasm
40:09to adopt facilitated communication
40:11they had chosen
40:13to overlook
40:13a number of things
40:14about FC
40:15that simply
40:16didn't make sense
40:17skeptics wondered
40:19how thousands
40:20of autistic people
40:21could have taught themselves
40:22to read and write
40:23just by watching television
40:24and why should
40:26disabled individuals
40:27who can point
40:28by themselves
40:29need someone
40:30to hold their hands
40:31to type
40:32regret
40:33and most significantly
40:38they point out
40:39why is it that
40:40most of the time
40:41most of the autistic
40:43individuals
40:43are not looking
40:44at the keyboard
40:45it's certainly true
40:50that a touch typist
40:51can type
40:52without looking
40:53at the keyboard
40:53Connie Chisari
40:55star graduate
40:55of the Catherine Gibbs school
40:57can type 100 words
40:58a minute
40:58without looking
40:59she has memorized
41:00the layout
41:01of the keys
41:02but before starting
41:05she registers
41:06her hands
41:06in a home position
41:07this is her reference
41:09Frontline wanted to see
41:11if she could type
41:12with one finger
41:13without looking
41:14despite her intimate
41:26knowledge of the keyboard
41:27she can't
41:28nobody can
41:29without a reference
41:31it's just impossible
41:32you can't
41:39be a one finger typist
41:41and not look
41:42at the keyboard
41:42you just can't
41:44get oriented
41:45you don't have
41:45a home position
41:46and when you watch
41:50children who are
41:50FC
41:51facilitated communication
41:53users
41:53they may not be
41:54looking at the
41:55language board
41:56but the facilitators
42:00are not taking
42:00their eyes from it
42:01they're fixed on it
42:02what's 6 times 2
42:04what's 6 times 2
42:04good
42:07ok
42:09space
42:10what's 12 times
42:1212 plus 1
42:14we carry the 1
42:15remember
42:15what's 12 plus 1
42:17excellent
42:19give me 5
42:20ok
42:21plus 1
42:23we carry the 1
42:24hi
42:25how are you
42:25what's 12 plus 1
42:27what's 5 times 5
42:30Doug Bicklin admits
42:32that typing
42:32without looking
42:33is impossible
42:34so what's going on
42:36in the Syracuse
42:37schools
42:37it's not good
42:41technique
42:41it's very sloppy
42:43and I think it
42:43really raises
42:44questions about
42:45that particular
42:46typing
42:47as well it should
42:50and what we need
42:51to do
42:51is to harp
42:52on facilitators
42:54to monitor eyes
42:55it's a lot
42:56for people to manage
42:57but I think
42:58we have to do it
42:59but does the
43:01facilitated communication
43:02institute
43:02practice what it
43:03preaches
43:04in the conference
43:05last May
43:06Annegretz Schubert
43:07arguably the most
43:08expert facilitator
43:09in the world
43:10gave a seminar
43:11on the importance
43:12of clients
43:12looking at the
43:13keyboard
43:14are able to
43:15work with
43:16less support
43:16is there anything
43:17you want to
43:18share with me
43:18about it
43:19yet minutes
43:20afterwards
43:21she was in the
43:22corridor talking
43:22to a man
43:23with his eyes
43:24closed
43:24and a letter
43:25board moving
43:26around in the air
43:27and even when
43:37Doug Bicklin
43:38was present
43:38we filmed
43:39Jeff Powell
43:40typing while
43:41looking at the
43:41ceiling
43:42something Bicklin
43:43concedes
43:44is impossible
43:45as Bicklin
43:51admits
43:51this is a
43:52serious matter
43:53if the
43:54autistic
43:54individuals
43:55are not
43:55looking
43:56then the
43:57facilitators
43:57are effectively
43:58putting words
43:59into their
44:00mouths
44:00scientists
44:02in Australia
44:03had warned
44:04Bicklin
44:04of such dangers
44:05this videotape
44:07especially
44:08concerned them
44:08Rosemary
44:10Crosley
44:10the founder
44:11of FC
44:12is facilitating
44:13with a head
44:14injury victim
44:14in a coma
44:15to make a
44:16very important
44:17decision
44:18about where
44:19he will live
44:19because the
44:22man is in a
44:23coma
44:23his head
44:24pointer
44:25barely moves
44:26throughout the
44:26taping
44:27by drawing a
44:28line on the
44:29screen
44:29it is easy to
44:30see that
44:31Rosemary Crosley
44:32is ever so
44:32slowly moving
44:33the board
44:34I don't think
45:00they're doing
45:01it consciously
45:01but they're
45:02absolutely
45:02manipulating
45:03these
45:03individuals
45:04and they're
45:04communicating
45:05for them
45:05and I don't
45:07think that
45:07that's
45:08I don't
45:10think that's
45:10acceptable
45:11I don't
45:11think that
45:12other people
45:12have the
45:13right to
45:13communicate
45:14for someone
45:14else
45:14the scientific
45:16evidence
45:17suggested that
45:18far from
45:18unlocking the
45:19minds of
45:20autistic
45:20individuals
45:21FC tapped
45:22the unconscious
45:23thoughts of
45:24the facilitator
45:24the process
45:27skeptics say
45:28is not unlike
45:29what goes on
45:29with the
45:29Ouija board
45:30as letters
45:33are built
45:33up
45:34hypotheses
45:34are formed
45:35about what
45:36comes next
45:36the facilitator
45:44who attributes
45:44the output
45:45to the autistic
45:46individual
45:46is unaware
45:47they are
45:48controlling
45:48the typing
45:49the autistic
45:51individual
45:52becomes so
45:52sensitized
45:53to respond
45:54to tiny
45:54cues
45:55that they
45:56become an
45:56amplifier
45:56for the
45:57facilitators
45:58unconscious
45:58Do you ever
46:06have a nightmare
46:06that instead
46:07of liberating
46:08people
46:09FC might end
46:10up enslaving
46:11them
46:11Yeah that
46:13worries me
46:14that worries
46:16me that
46:16people would
46:17be in some
46:18way
46:18you know
46:19that people
46:20are being
46:20influenced
46:21there's
46:22interpretation
46:23of things
46:24that you
46:25know
46:25we see
46:27that happening
46:27and it
46:28troubles
46:28me
46:29it
46:30troubles
46:30me
46:31I think
46:31it's
46:31terrible
46:31Did he
46:33f*** you
46:34in your
46:34mouth
46:35No
46:39Did he
46:42f*** your
46:43toes
46:44But what
46:45explains
46:46the high
46:46number
46:47of
46:47facilitated
46:48abuse
46:48allegations
46:49While most
46:51courts
46:51have refused
46:52to accept
46:52FC as
46:53genuine
46:53communication
46:54earlier this
46:56year
46:56a judge
46:57in Wichita
46:57Kansas
46:58allowed a
46:59nonverbal
46:59autistic
47:00boy
47:00to give
47:01testimony
47:02through
47:02FC
47:02Did he
47:03f*** your
47:04butt
47:04Yes
47:06Yes
47:08Yes
47:10Yes
47:10Why the
47:18facilitator
47:19is making
47:19these
47:19allegations
47:20on behalf
47:20of the
47:21child
47:21I don't
47:22know
47:22whether
47:24they've
47:24been abused
47:25themselves
47:25I don't
47:27have any
47:28sense of
47:28that
47:29Maybe
47:29they've
47:29been
47:30persuaded
47:30If you
47:30look at
47:31the
47:31literature
47:32from
47:33Syracuse
47:34University
47:34they're
47:35suggesting
47:35that
47:3510%
47:36make that
47:3713%
47:38of the
47:38children
47:39in their
47:39initial
47:40study
47:40had
47:41alleged
47:41that
47:41they
47:41had
47:41been
47:41sexually
47:42abused
47:42Now
47:43if I
47:43attended
47:43a
47:44conference
47:44and I
47:44was
47:44told
47:45that
47:4513%
47:46of the
47:46people
47:46in
47:46the
47:47initial
47:47study
47:47had
47:48been
47:48sexually
47:49abused
47:49I'd
47:50go home
47:50and wonder
47:50well
47:51maybe
47:52my
47:52students
47:53are being
47:54sexually
47:54abused
47:54so maybe
47:55the idea
47:56is being
47:56planted
47:57Syracuse
48:00University
48:01is now
48:02in the
48:02position
48:02of having
48:03an
48:03institute
48:03dedicated
48:04to
48:04researching
48:05teaching
48:05and promoting
48:06a technique
48:07that all
48:08the scientific
48:08evidence
48:09says
48:09is not
48:10real
48:10The
48:15university
48:16even
48:16has
48:17seven
48:17students
48:18doing
48:18research
48:18theses
48:19on
48:19facilitated
48:20communication
48:20A
48:24well-meaning
48:24social
48:25movement
48:25aimed
48:26at giving
48:26a voice
48:27to a
48:27group
48:27of
48:27disabled
48:28individuals
48:28has
48:29developed
48:29into
48:29a
48:29bitter
48:30controversy
48:30which
48:31some
48:31critics
48:32have
48:32dubbed
48:32the
48:32cold
48:33fusion
48:33of
48:33human
48:34services
48:34They
48:35ask
48:36why
48:36millions
48:36of
48:37dollars
48:37were
48:37spent
48:37on
48:37a
48:38technique
48:38without
48:38first
48:39proving
48:39it
48:39worked
48:40and
48:40if
48:41unproven
48:41why
48:42did
48:42thousands
48:42of
48:43autistic
48:43children
48:43waste
48:44precious
48:44years
48:44sitting
48:45in
48:45advanced
48:45classes
48:46instead
48:46of
48:47more
48:47appropriate
48:47education
48:48These
48:50are also
48:50the
48:50questions
48:51families
48:51like
48:51the
48:52Girardi's
48:52are
48:52asking
48:53Families
48:56whose
48:57lives
48:57have been
48:58turned
48:58upside
48:58down
48:59by
48:59FC
48:59After
49:01nine
49:01court
49:02appearances
49:02social
49:03services
49:03carried
49:04out
49:04a
49:04controlled
49:04test
49:05of
49:05Matthew
49:05which
49:06proved
49:06he
49:07wasn't
49:07capable
49:07of
49:08authoring
49:08the
49:08accusations
49:09against
49:09his
49:09father
49:10Last
49:12February
49:12the
49:13prosecutor
49:13dropped
49:14the
49:14case
49:14and
49:15the
49:15family
49:15was
49:15reunited
49:16to
49:16continue
49:16with
49:17their
49:17lives
49:17The
49:19facilitator
49:20left
49:20the
49:21state
49:21but the
49:22school
49:22continues
49:22to
49:23believe
49:23in
49:23FC
49:23No
49:29No one
49:29has
49:29ever
49:30apologized
49:31In
49:32fact
49:32to
49:32this
49:32day
49:33we
49:34still
49:34sense
49:35that
49:35the
49:36administration
49:37at the
49:38high
49:38school
49:38will
49:40never
49:40admit
49:41that
49:41they
49:41were
49:42wrong
49:42They
49:42want
49:42to
49:42continue
49:43to
49:43say
49:44that
49:44facilitated
49:45communication
49:46is
49:47successful
49:47If a
49:51new
49:51drug
49:52had
49:52just
49:52been
49:53discovered
49:53it
49:54wouldn't
49:54be
49:54something
49:55that
49:55would
49:55be
49:55just
49:55thrown
49:56out
49:56into
49:56the
49:56market
49:57It
49:57would
49:58take
49:58years
49:58of
49:58studies
49:59before
50:00this
50:00medication
50:00would
50:01be
50:01marketed
50:01It
50:02It's
50:02the
50:02same
50:02way
50:02facilitated
50:03communication
50:04should
50:04be
50:04treated
50:04I
50:05mean
50:05why
50:05should
50:05that
50:06be
50:06thrown
50:06out
50:06and
50:07people's
50:08lives
50:09devastated
50:11because
50:11they're
50:12trying it
50:13out
50:13on
50:13us
50:14guinea
50:15pigs
50:15I
50:19think
50:23a lot
50:23of
50:23parents
50:24are
50:25grabbing
50:25at
50:26straws
50:27and
50:28are
50:28hoping
50:28that
50:28facilitated
50:29communications
50:30is
50:30going
50:30to
50:30be
50:30the
50:31answer
50:31for
50:31them
50:31and
50:32I
50:32think
50:32they've
50:32been
50:33blinded
50:33by
50:33it
50:34and
50:35I
50:36feel
50:37for
50:37these
50:37people
50:38these
50:38parents
50:38that
50:39believe
50:39in
50:39it
50:39because
50:40I
50:41certainly
50:41can
50:41understand
50:42where
50:42they're
50:42coming
50:42from
50:43but
50:44until
50:44we
50:45face
50:45it
50:45head
50:45on
50:46and
50:47do
50:47more
50:47scientific
50:48investigations
50:49of
50:49it
50:50then
50:50these
50:50poor
50:51parents
50:51out
50:52there
50:52are
50:53going
50:53to
50:53be
50:53in
50:56the
50:56dark
50:57over
50:57what's
50:58actually
50:58happening
50:59to
50:59their
50:59child
50:59I know
51:03for myself
51:04I wanted
51:04so hard
51:05to believe
51:05that it was
51:06real
51:06that I
51:08wasn't able
51:09to listen
51:09to objective
51:11thinking about it
51:13because it grabs you
51:14emotionally right here
51:15and once you're hooked
51:17I mean you are hooked
51:18you just
51:20I don't think I was capable
51:21of rationally
51:22thinking about it
51:23because I had clues
51:25even before we did
51:25our study
51:26that there was
51:28facilitator influence
51:29taking place
51:30in other places
51:31people had done
51:32studies in Australia
51:33and I said
51:34oh we
51:34that doesn't happen
51:36here
51:36we aren't using
51:37the same
51:37we aren't using
51:38it the same way
51:39we aren't holding
51:39letter boards
51:40in the air
51:40we have them
51:41down on the table
51:41so therefore
51:42that limits
51:43the influence
51:44that could be
51:44taking place
51:45well I was
51:46dead wrong
51:46it was amazing
51:48to me to see
51:49how willing
51:49people are
51:50to abandon
51:50their beliefs
51:51and adopt
51:53a new belief
51:54without verification
51:55and do that
51:57virtually overnight
51:58because it happened
51:59to myself
52:00and when I think
52:01back on it
52:02if I had just
52:03thought about
52:03the literature
52:04on autism
52:04and thought about
52:05the studies
52:06I was familiar with
52:07I would have known
52:08that the phenomenon
52:10of FC was illogical
52:11that it probably
52:12couldn't exist
52:12but I was so caught up
52:14in the emotionality
52:15of it
52:15and it just taught me
52:16a lot about
52:16human nature
52:17despite everything
52:19Douglas Bicklin
52:20and the Syracuse
52:21Facilitated Communication
52:22Institute
52:23remain committed
52:24to FC
52:24they believe
52:26that time
52:26will prove them right
52:27I don't say
52:28I'll refuse to accept
52:29any amount of evidence
52:30I've never said that
52:31what amount of evidence
52:32would you accept
52:33John
52:33what I've said
52:34is we already have
52:35some evidence
52:36that this is for real
52:37I think the challenge
52:39is can we demonstrate
52:40it for you know
52:41each person
52:42who's using it
52:43that's the challenge
52:43it's very easy
52:46to fail
52:47in one's attempt
52:48to demonstrate something
52:49it's usually more difficult
52:51to be successful
52:52so it almost doesn't matter
52:54how many instances
52:55of failed studies
52:57we have
52:58what we need
53:00with any one individual
53:01are instances
53:02where the person
53:03succeeded
53:03when he gets
53:04the letter that he wants
53:05he hits the switch
53:06as he just did
53:07I've tried to find
53:16a middle ground
53:16I don't know
53:17what the middle ground is
53:18either it works
53:20or it doesn't work
53:20it doesn't work
53:22so we have to abandon it
53:23abandoning it
53:24means that we just go back
53:25to come back
53:27to where we are
53:27come back to reality
53:28one day
53:48the mysterious condition
53:49of autism
53:50will be understood
53:51and researchers
53:52may find a cure
53:53until then
53:55as the evidence
53:56against facilitated
53:57communication accumulates
53:59a painful question
54:00remains
54:01whether parents
54:02and those
54:03who care deeply
54:04about autistic individuals
54:05are choosing
54:06to see them
54:07as they would like
54:07them to be
54:08rather than respecting
54:10them
54:10for who they are
54:26as if they are
54:38a threat
54:39and could we
54:40blame them
54:40too
54:41because it's
54:41just to think
54:42like
54:42be
54:43uh
54:43lung
54:44Ž
54:44for
54:45Next
54:453
54:45fuzzy
54:45Vice
54:45in
54:46the
54:47and
54:47uh
54:48as
54:48a
54:48as
54:49as
54:49as
54:50as
54:51as
54:52as
54:53Funding for Frontline is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
55:23And by annual financial support from viewers like you.
55:30Frontline is produced for the Documentary Consortium by WGBH Boston, which is solely responsible
55:36for its content.