A 30-Year Journey From Skepticism to Acceptance: Reconsidering the Authenticity of Assisted Communication of Nonspeakers

• By: Barry M. Prizant, PhD, CCC-SLP College of Health Sciences, University of Rhode Island
• July 9th, 2026
• assisted communication, autism research, communication supports, facilitated communication, motor planning challenges, neurodiversity, nonspeaking autism, spelling to communicate, Summer 2026 Issue
• 8    0

My introduction to assisted communication (AC) for nonspeaking and minimally speaking individuals was in reference to facilitated communication (FC). During July of 1991 at the Autism Society of America's annual conference, I was asked to participate on a panel that was hastily organized to have an...