That all changed back in June when Lanier started playing around with an iPad with the help of her tutor Morgan Tyner.
“The first thing she said was “hi, thank you for releasing my voice”, and there was something about the power of being able to express her voice, her thoughts. It’s really priceless” says Morgan and the next thing Lanier typed out was “Tell my mother I love her.”
According to Leslie “I have never heard her say I love you and later that same day she wrote, tell my dad I love him and that he’s my hero.”
If this doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, nothing will.
Sadly, no, that’s not what’s happening here. This is a technique known as “facilitated communication” and it has been repeatedly disproven. Watch the video. You’ll notice Morgan is holding Lanier’s arm the entire time. Morgan is the one actually typing, not Lanier.
Bullshit, Matt. This is NOT facilitated communication. Morgan is indeed holding Lanier’s arm, but she’s not “typing”. Lanier, like many at the severe end of the spectrum, has fine-motor difficulties. Morgan is stabilizing her arm so Lanier’s frustration level doesn’t prevent her from communicating. (It’s also possible Lanier finds the touch comforting, which will help.)
I agree that facilitated communication is mostly garbage. This isn’t.
Jim, thanks for posting this.
I’m really sorry, but it is. Facilitated communication involves a facilitator stabilizing the arm of the person with autism, while they point to letters on a letter board. That is 100% what this is. If you really believe Lanier is the one typing, how did she learn to spell? She’s non-communicative, and only knew a few simple signs. When did she learn to read and spell? I understand her family’s desire to want this to be true. I’m even willing to believe that Morgan doesn’t know she’s the one typing.
Matt, I have a stepson with severe autism. I was also trained as a psychologist, although I don’t practice anymore. You’re just wrong on this, and your assumptions leading you to this conclusion are exemplified by your confusion about her receptive capability. How did she learn to spell? Seriously? People with autism can have a wide variety of skills which are not apparent to those who don’t know them, and receptive aphasia is pretty rare. The fact that she has, for the most part, been non-expressive doesn’t say anything about her inherent language capability, only her ability to SPEAK.
After 5 years with a magical iPad, Leo’s mother talks about it.
https://medium.com/@shannonrosa/five-years-of-my-autistic-son-rocking-his-ipad-7bb380d10f1c
I know a couple who’s son is a wonderful and difficult teenager with autism. They literally tear up when they talk about what an iPad has meant to them.
Duty calls Matt: http://xkcd.com/386/