Background Videos

Debunking Facilitated Communication 1(1:09)

Debunking Facilitated Communication 2(2:14)

Prisoners of Silence(55:47)

The Ethical Duty to Know: The Tragic Case of Facilitated Communication for Autism(1:33:43)

Answer each question:

1. For the FC study shown in the Debunking FC 1 video above, do themethodsused meet the standards for a valid experiment?Brieflysummarize the key experimental elements used in that study and identify any missing elements required for a valid experiment.
2. Why is it important for claims by practitioners about the effectiveness of novel techniques, such as Facilitated Communication, be scrutinized? How did researchers in video #1 [also shown inPrisoners of Silence] test these claims? Discuss whether or not the conclusion made by researchers who tested autistic children at the Heck Center is warranted. Do themethodsused in the the Heck Center study of FC meet the standards for a valid experiment?Brieflysummarize the key experimental elements used in that study and their importance.