Facilitated Communication in Autism Treatment: A Comprehensive Report

This report examines facilitated communication as a treatment approach for autism, addressing its principles, methods, and applications. The introduction defines facilitated communication as an augmentative and alternative communication method, particularly relevant for individuals with autism. The report outlines ways to increase facilitated communication, such as focusing on social interaction, imitation, non-verbal communication, and simplification of language. It also explores the advantages, including physical and mental support, sensory assistance, and potential for speech therapy. However, the report also acknowledges the disadvantages and limitations of facilitated communication, citing contemporary research that questions its effectiveness. The conclusion highlights that while facilitated communication has been used as a treatment method, current research does not support its effective use for autism treatment. The report references key literature, including studies by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Lilienfeld et al., Schlosser et al., and Schreibman & Stahmer, to support its analysis. The report fulfills the requirements of the assignment brief, addressing the families' concerns over facilitated communication and providing a detailed analysis and response.

FACILATED COMMUNI-
CATION IN TREATMENT
OF AUTISM
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:

Introduction
Facilitated communication is
a form of augmentative as
well as alternative
communication for
supporting people with
visual images (American
Speech-Language-Hearing
Association. 2018).
It is a part of communication
approach.
It is considered as a means
of treatment for autistic
children.
Pitch Deck Tagline

08/31/2024ADD A FOOTER3Ways of increasing
facilitated
communication
• Increased social interaction
• Imitation of children
• Focus on the non-verbal
communication
• Simplification of language
• Following the child’s interests

08/31/2024ADD A FOOTER4Advantages of Facilitated
Communication
• Offers physical and mental support to the
patient.
• Supports the senses of the student .
• It helps the student point to a
communication device.
• Acts as a means of speech therapy helping

08/31/2024ADD A FOOTER5Disadvantages of facilitated communication
Communication is very slow
Motor impairment
False messages conveyed have severe effect on
families ( Schreibman & Stahmer 2014 )

08/31/2024ADD A FOOTER6Conclusion
Thus though it has ben used as a effective method of
treatment for ages , contemporary research prohibits the
effective use of the technique for treatment.
It helps in the facilitation of the people with various
communication as well as communication disabilities.
Facilitated communication is not a suitable means for
treatment of children suffering form Autistics spectrum
disorders.

08/31/2024ADD A FOOTER7References
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2018). Facilitated communication.
Lilienfeld, S. O., Marshall, J., Todd, J. T., & Shane, H. C. (2014). The persistence of fad interventions
in the face of negative scientific evidence: Facilitated communication for autism as a case
example. Evidence- Based Communication Assessment and Intervention, 8(2), 62-101.
Schlosser, R. W., Balandin, S., Hemsley, B., Iacono, T., Probst, P., & von Tetzchner, S. (2014).
Facilitated communication and authorship: A systematic review. Augmentative and
Alternative Communication, 30(4), 359-368.
Schreibman, L., & Stahmer, A. C. (2014). A randomized trial comparison of the effects of verbal
and pictorial naturalistic communication strategies on spoken language for young children
with autism. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 44(5), 1244-1251.

08/31/2024ADD A FOOTER8Thank
you!