Autistic genius novelist woos the literary world with novel composed using "Facilitated Communication"

[Darat]

Puppeteering an autistic person like a Ouija board planchette will never not sicken me. And I would bet she absolutely knows what she is doing here. But I'm sure it made some money.

That clarifies my feelings about this - it is using someone as a puppet.

 

[Darat]

Skeptical take.….snip…

Thanks for that - she does well to expose the mother’s input into what is meant to be his output. No one not already bought into her scam could mistake what is happening.

 

[Helen]

It's tragic in so many ways, not least since there could have been real communication, based on his level of understanding, if it weren't for the fc. Augmentative and alternative communication, AAC, can achieve a great deal, not least in allowing Woody to express his own thoughts and needs.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

AAC is used by people who, some or all of the time, cannot rely on their speech.

www.asha.org

 

[angrysoba]

I am trying to understand how he got accepted by Columbia.

It’s not hard to see how “he” got accepted.

 

[Vixen]

Thanks for that - she does well to expose the mother’s input into what is meant to be his output. No one not already bought into her scam could mistake what is happening.

People on YouTube have all kinds of takes on all kinds of things. Is this YouTuber a qualified medic or a clinical/developmental psychologist? Or is she assuming autistic children have some kind of brain damage that prohibits any real learning? Someone up thread claimed Woody Brown had never learnt to speak therefore cannot have any language. But Woody can speak albeit he is selectively mute. He clearly enjoys watching visually stimulating stuff on his various screens. Autism doesn't necessarily equate to low intelligence. In fact, friends back in England reported that some research psychologist was sending out questionnaires to British Mensa members t'other day, her theory being super-high intelligence was a form of autism. Some were quite offended by this but it indicates that autistic people come with a whole range of intelligence levels. That's not to say Woody's mother didn't put a lot of herself into the book. I am open to more research into this.

 

[theprestige]

It’s not hard to see how “he” got accepted.

It's kind of hard to imagine how Columbia admissions and faculty all either fell for it, or decided to play along.

Actually, I take that back. Once he's admitted, it's probably in the faculties' best interest to just go along with it.

 

[Darat]

People on YouTube have all kinds of takes on all kinds of things. Is this YouTuber a qualified medic or a clinical/developmental psychologist? Or is she assuming autistic children have some kind of brain damage that prohibits any real learning? Someone up thread claimed Woody Brown had never learnt to speak therefore cannot have any language. But Woody can speak albeit he is selectively mute. He clearly enjoys watching visually stimulating stuff on his various screens. Autism doesn't necessarily equate to low intelligence. In fact, friends back in England reported that some research psychologist was sending out questionnaires to British Mensa members t'other day, her theory being super-high intelligence was a form of autism. Some were quite offended by this but it indicates that autistic people come with a whole range of intelligence levels. That's not to say Woody's mother didn't put a lot of herself into the book. I am open to more research into this.

Did you watch the video?

 

[Brainster]

Thanks for that - she does well to expose the mother’s input into what is meant to be his output. No one not already bought into her scam could mistake what is happening.

An obvious question any interviewer should have is why not create a keyboard connected to a computer that he could use and cut out the middle-mom?

 

[angrysoba]

An obvious question any interviewer should have is why not create a keyboard connected to a computer that he could use and cut out the middle-mom?

Yeah, I wondered that and had meant to ask that in the OP.

 

[Helen]

People on YouTube have all kinds of takes on all kinds of things. Is this YouTuber a qualified medic or a clinical/developmental psychologist? Or is she assuming autistic children have some kind of brain damage that prohibits any real learning? Someone up thread claimed Woody Brown had never learnt to speak therefore cannot have any language. But Woody can speak albeit he is selectively mute. He clearly enjoys watching visually stimulating stuff on his various screens. Autism doesn't necessarily equate to low intelligence. In fact, friends back in England reported that some research psychologist was sending out questionnaires to British Mensa members t'other day, her theory being super-high intelligence was a form of autism. Some were quite offended by this but it indicates that autistic people come with a whole range of intelligence levels. That's not to say Woody's mother didn't put a lot of herself into the book. I am open to more research into this.

That is not at all what I claimed. And for your information, since you seem quite oblivious on this subject, autism is a spectrum. The fact that some on that spectrum are highly intelligent does not mean that Woody is as well, and since his mother has used fc to communicate with him, no one really knows. AAC would have allowed him to develop, fc keeps him stuck in a place where only his mother can "communicate" with him.

 

[Vixen]

Did you watch the video?

Yeah, doesn't mean she's right.

 

[Vixen]

An obvious question any interviewer should have is why not create a keyboard connected to a computer that he could use and cut out the middle-mom?

He has attention deficit.

 

[Helen]

Facilitated communication does not work. It's as simple as that.

Facilitated communication - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Helen]

He has attention deficit.

But he is able to concentrate on the board?

 

[Vixen]

Facilitated communication does not work. It's as simple as that.

Facilitated communication - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Which states:

The technique involves a facilitator guiding the disabled person's arm or hand in an attempt to help them type on a keyboard or other such device that they are unable to properly use if unfacilitated.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facil...ated_Communication_Is_a_Cult_That_Won’t_Die-2"><span>[</span></a>


But she doesn't guide his hand or arm.

 

[Helen]

She interprets his random tapping, which is quite usual in fc.

 

[Vixen]

But he is able to concentrate on the board?

There's a brief video demonstrating that he is too shy to look towards the camera and turns towards whatever he was watching after dabbing the touch board she is holding. It's a demo. The YouTuber claiming she's caught them out based on this and expressing her disgust probably knows very little about autism.

Isaac Newton is thought to have been autistic - had no friends, rarely spoke.

 

[Helen]

Again, autism is a spectrum. I find it very strange that you don't understand this - whether Newton was autistic or not has nothing to do with facilitated communication.

And the youtuber, if that is what you want to call her in an effort to denigrate her, very obviously knows far more about autism than you.

 

[catsmate]

<slippage>

She's pointing out that the letters pointed to don't correspond, either specifically or in number, to the supposed letters his mother is claiming he's signing.
Give it up, it's at best wishful thinking.

 

[catsmate]

An obvious question any interviewer should have is why not create a keyboard connected to a computer that he could use and cut out the middle-mom?

My first thought.