Facilitated communication: a response by child protection.

Full Abstract

Using a new technology called facilitated communication, a 7-year-old autistic child reported that she had been sexually abused. Because this method of reporting was the first of its kind at Hennepin County's (Minneapolis) Child Protection Agency, steps were taken not only to understand facilitated communication, but also to assess the reliability of the child's report. This article includes a description of the client's complaint, the subsequent referral process that it provoked, and a background description of the client and family situation. It also describes the client's method of communication, including the assessment procedure that was devised to examine her communication production. The article ends with a summary of results from implementation of the assessment procedures, and a discussion of the limitations of these procedures. What is evident is that facilitated communication cannot be ignored.

Author information

Author/s: Heckler, S (S);

Affiliation: Hennepin County Child Protection Services, Minneapolis, MN.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Case Reports; Journal Article

Journal: Child abuse & neglect (Child Abuse Negl), published in ENGLAND. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1994-Jun; vol 18 (issue 6) : pp 495-503

Dates: Created 1994/10/19; Completed 1994/10/19; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 8087605, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

CommentIn: Child Abuse Negl. 1994 Jun;18(6):505-13; discussion 539-40. (PMID: 8087606)

CommentIn: Child Abuse Negl. 1994 Jun;18(6):515-27; discussion 539-40. (PMID: 8087607)

CommentIn: Child Abuse Negl. 1994 Jun;18(6):529-30; discussion 539-40. (PMID: 8087608)

CommentIn: Child Abuse Negl. 1994 Jun;18(6):531-7; discussion 539-40. (PMID: 8087609)

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