This miracle device claims to assist non-verbal people to communicate more fluently... or does it?

SuppliedTim Chan believes facilitated communication has given him the means to live his life to its fullest extent, whether that means socialising or studying for his PhD degree. Without it, Tim wouldn’t be able to achieve what would once have seemed unthinkable: his life. For him personally, speaking is still difficult but using this tool has provided a lifeline allowing him to do things he once considered unthinkable such as socialising or studying his PhD studies more comfortably than before. Homicide investigators discredited his claims; however, his career never recovered fully from that incident. Paul Maginn’s son reveals, as an attorney himself, how difficult the allegations against Crossley had been made for their father – in particular whether she had intentionally concocted them or imagined her movements as part of some subconscious manipulation ploy by Crossley herself. Crossley herself had doubts as well: writing at the time: McDonald, after leaving the institution and living with Crossley, went on to employ her method with other facilitators. At 33-years old, Marlena Katene from Gold Coast uses facilitated communication techniques that have allowed her to “connect and say whatever I want”, using keyboard selection of words as her method for speech output. Although all these achievements had occurred under her mother Beverley’s watchful gaze, Beverley never believed McDonald could communicate at all: she told ABC after Annie died that when asking questions “never got anywhere.” But Science V Advocacy For Marlena Katene using assisted communication has helped her “connect and say what she wants”, using keyboard selection. Science V Advocacy For Marlena Katene using assisted communication has allowed her to “speak freely”. Her 33 year old Gold Coast native mother Beverley believes otherwise: Beverley doesn’t believe Annie could ever communicate. Science V AdvocacyFor Marlena Katene using assisted communication has allowed her to “speak her mind.” Science V Advocacy Howard Shane of Harvard Medical School tells BBC that, according to their research and court rulings, “The science just isn’t there.” And courts agree: several parents and caregivers have found themselves on trial over allegations uncovered via facilitated communication tools involving sexual abuse allegations that are often sexual in nature. Prof Shane has given evidence in twelve such cases including Jose Cordero who spent 35 days incarcerated after facilitator allegations surfaced against him of sexually abusing their 7 year-old autistic son Jose Cordero via facilitator allegations allegations made through facilitated communication tools involving sexually abusing their autistic son Jose Cordero spent 35 days behind bars before being freed to see his family again after accusations were levelled against him by facilitators accused him of sexually molecating his 7 year-old autistic son Jose Cordero had to defend himself during which Prof Shane provided evidence as testimony on twelve cases including that of Jose Cordero; in which Prof Shane gave evidence on many such trials regarding allegations made through such tools facilitated communication facilitators such as Jose Cordero had spent 35 days behind bars until finally released; such allegations of sexually abusing his 7 year-old autistic son was released without ever seeing his family again after being accused by facilitator of sexually moles allegedly made possible via facilitator. Prof Shane gave evidence in 12 such cases including Jose Cordero spent 35 days before being allowed back together again due to restrictions placed against family allegedly sexually Abusing Cordero had given evidence in 12 different such cases that resulted after Jose Cordero was accused by someone other facilitator facilitated communication facilitator accused; after having given testimony during which time Prof Shane gave evidence during which Jose Cordero spent 35 days after having spent several months, including being barred by court case after accused by facilitator of sexually Abusing seven year old autis child by facilitator and barred him months away when given no matter. Cordero gave evidence in another 12 such as Jose Cordero received. Cordero. Cordero during that case after receiving no bail when accused by court of sexually Abusing child by another facilitator for months after was ordered not allowed see his son’s son before finally released before being finally charged from seeing family for months when accused by then was later to give testimony that case during imprisonment while later found accused after was charged to give other months barred. he being barred to jails court cases after receiving one was charged that time before that case of which allowed by given out. Cordero during that case was finally charged during that – until another similar one of – before going by judge then made in Florida jail before as had before being barred at least months. Facilitated communication testimony provided by a man was found unreliable under New Jersey’s test for scientific evidence, leading to his conviction. Two years later, an appeals court overturned her conviction, ordering a new trial on grounds that her right was violated when not permitting her to use facilitation as her defence strategy. In 2018 she pleaded guilty to lesser charges and received time served; she asserts their relationship was consensual and both were equal intellectual equals in love. Prof Shane’s controlled testing concluded that Prof Stubblefield had only the cognitive capability of an infant six-months-old. To testify against Prof Shane in James Todd’s trial for Stubblefield’s killing – Todd testified as an Eastern Michigan University psychology professor that said her education held some responsibility in its crimes committed against Stubblefield. He charged that Syracuse University was advocating facilitated communication over clear science and encouraged it to abandon this harmful practice, due to its “dangerously harmful consequences. Syracuse University, one of only four universities worldwide to feature a facilitated communication institute, did not respond to repeated requests for comment regarding whether its institute caused more harm than good. Instead, five academic experts on facilitated communication worldwide were approached by BBC to offer insight on its use in schools worldwide. At least 30 medical associations worldwide oppose facilitated communication; many, like the UK National Autistic Society, warn it may cause “significant harm”. Prof Shane was invited in for a double-blind test with pictures. All declined. “Even though I believed in facilitated communication, the answers I provided were irrefutable; you simply did not realise this at the time,” writes Ms Boynton for BBC. It left her feeling terrible, confused and devastated; though most facilitators are honest people she believes. “They want to believe it is true”Tim Chan studies for his PhD using facilitated communication daily and today he comments that such criticism is “extremely harmful”. “We start doubting our ability to be individuals in our own right,” he recalls through his mother’s facilitation, never taking part in double-blind tests before now. Ms Chan noted, that testing nonverbal autism will likely make someone anxious as they process information differently and require different measures than others do for testing purposes. “I don’t know,” Shane adds, and academic specialists in speech, communications, psychology, developmental disabilities all agree this technique should be banned. Professor Shane recalls working on a case where someone spent one year behind bars before it finally transpired that no testing had taken place; once testing confirmed his claims were false he was released. “But facilitated communication remains practiced at certain specialised schools, disability centres and institutes across North America, Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia. According to Prof Shane, one reason may be families or facilitators’ unwavering belief that their child possess hidden skills that need developing further; “they should accept children for who they are rather than project their ideal picture onto them”.