Communication Unbound: How Facilitated Communication Is Challenging Traditional Views of Autism and Ability/Disability (Special Education Series) [Hardcover]

Douglas Biklen (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Teachers College Pr (May 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807732222
• ISBN-13: 978-0807732229
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,576,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A sad book that has generated much pain, May 27, 2000

By 

Bruce Robinson (Kingston, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Communication Unbound: How Facilitated Communication is Challenging Traditional Views of Autism and Ability-Disability (Special Education Series) (Paperback)

Dr. Biklen is arguably the most informed promoter of facilitated communication in North America. However, lurking in his book is evidence that FC is generally useless, except for a small percentage of persons diagnosed with autism -- those with normal or above average intelligence who have a profound communication disability.

Unfortunately, the excessive claims made by this book have helped raise the hopes of countless parents of autistic children, only to have them cruely dashed.

9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Autistic people should not be used as Ouija boards, February 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Communication Unbound: How Facilitated Communication Is Challenging Traditional Views of Autism and Ability/Disability (Special Education Series) (Hardcover)

People considering buying this book should be aware that more than 50 studies have shown that in the vast majority of cases, the facilitated "messages" come not from the autistic person but from the facilitator. Proponents of FC have responded by claiming that any kind of scientific study destroys the "trust" necessary for FC to work, and then demonstrating this "trust" by such practices as ignoring all non-facilitated attempts at communication, and even using physical force to hold some "clients" at the keyboard. Autistic people deserve better than to be used as human Ouija boards for "normal" people's fantasies.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars well-written and intended, but misinformed and unresearched, January 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Communication Unbound: How Facilitated Communication is Challenging Traditional Views of Autism and Ability-Disability (Special Education Series) (Paperback)

While Bliken is a talented writer, his subject matter leaves much to be desired. He attempts to prove a topic that he has not fully researched, nor does he seem inclined to believe that he needs to fully research it. Since Bliken's findings, scientific research has been done, and it has proven Bliken and Facilitated Communication to be well-intended, but terribly misused and virtually, wrong.