Facilitated Communication - "I would not get to this stage if I did not get full support initially"

Tim Chan is a 16 year old young man from Melbourne, Australia. He has autism and very little speech. Over the last seven years, Tim has successfully used facilitated communication training as a strategy to achieve virtual independence of communication. In this video he demonstrates the different levels of physical support he has required over this time. When we first met Tim he was using full wrist support and only typing with his mother and communication specialist. For several years, some people did not support Tim's access to this method of communication on the grounds that its authenticity was questionable. But Tim now states that if this communication method had not been given to him he would not be typing independently now: 'I would not get to this stage if I did not get full support initially'. As a result of Facilitated Communication Training, Tim has a wealth of life opportunities available to him which he would not have otherwise.

Tim Chan and his family have given their permission for the release of this footage as an educational resource. Direct inquiries to Communication Rights Australia: info@caus.com.au

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Facilitated
• Communication
• Tim
• Chan
• AAC
• Assistive
• Alternative
• Augmentative
• Rights
• Australia
• autism
• autistic
• little
• or
• no
• speech
• lightwriter
• asd
• spectrum
• disorder
• fc

[wjameshenry]

Well done Tim! Your expression is so clear! Well done Sarah and Deal and Communication Rights Australia! This video is so powerful to educate people - and we need to show them to reduce discrimination. I'm also going to show my son Kingsley - it will encourage him a lot! Thanks! How to see you again with Kingsley. James.

[CommunicationRights]

@wjameshenry

Hi James, this is Tim Chan, I'd like to see us, people like Kingsley and me, do our darnest to show others that we can help them understand us better through our particular voice. That despite our obvious disability, we are not that different in wanting people to hear what we have to say and be given our choice to say it as we can't do it by talking.

[suefinnes]

This is fantastic - my 12 year old son is using FC but still needs support and frequently gets up and walks away from the keyboard. It is so good to see someone else behaving in the same way and being able to type independently. Well done Tim!

[CommunicationRights]

@suefinnes

Hi Sue. This is Tim Chan, I am sure I was much more jumpy at 12 , I got better because I kept it up and Mum would never let me get too complacent. I'm really glad my skills are improving and I can have a say in my life.

[Jowat70]

Thanks Tim for sharing your communication journey. You have highlighted to me the importance of respect for all communication methods, whether they are symbolic (e.g. words, spelling, pictures) or unsymbolic (e.g. gesture, facial expression). Communication is unique, a method that one person finds meaningful may not be meaningful and therefore not at all useful to another. Tim, you highlight the importance of respecting all communication methods, symbolic or not. Thankyou.

[CommunicationRights]

@Jowat70

Hi Jowat, this is Tim Chan. Thank you for respecting our need to communicate using FC. It is not by choice as I would give a kingdom to be able to talk. As I can't , I am only able to speak via FC, and it has been a long and hard road to type as I do now with minimal support from familiar people. What motivates me to take part in the demonstration of FC is to help others understand that we have a desperate need to communicate and FC offers the means to give us our voice .

[MegaVldmr]

People, this guy could get REAL communication skills instead of this! FC is a delusion, what you really do is giving boy a clue about what button to press, putting your words in his mouth.

If you like FC, use other training too, which is scientifically supported!

[WupeViasco]

its a huge scam

[CommunicationRights]

@miraclevoice

Hi this is Tim Chan, thanks for your encouragement, best of luck for your daughter's journey. I also have parents and family whose support are vital

[CommunicationRights]

@srilata06 Hi Sujit, this is Tim Chan. I think it's cool to hear about your experiences with FC. Keep up the good work.

[srilata06]

Like to see cool communication by Tim. I too communicate by typing independently with my mom and others. Choosing the method to communicate is my right and everyone should acknowledge it and respect.

Sujit Kurup

Syracuse