The Reason I Jump question

I watched the video you posted, and it seems as though the technique used in that report is similar to the one used for this book. However, I would suggest that the Facilitated Communication method might not have been a hoax in all cases. It's quite possible that it worked for some individuals, and then was falsified by later practitioners who wanted to make their programs look more successful, or by teachers and assistants who became excited by the prospect of helping their autistic students communicate and "over-assisted" their communication attempts.

Having said that now, Naoki Higashida is also a motivational speaker now, and can use a typewriter to write, so it would appear that, in his case, the dictation technique was legitimate.

Ah! I just posted a new thread on this same topic. I thought the book was very interesting but I just couldn't believe the author's voice...not because he was autistic but I just didn't buy it as any thirteen year old boy.

Yes, facilitated communication may be a hoax in some cases, but it won't be in all cases. It used all the time, in non-commercial ways to simply help children communicate. There are hundreds of modes of alternative communication, this is just one of them that happens to have been scammed for commercial use.

Cassandra wrote: "I haven't yet read this book, and I'm hesitant to put it on my to-read list because of the technique used to write it. Frontline did a documentary on Facilitated Communication in 1993, and revealed..."

I read this book and don't for one minute believe it was written by the child. Hard to say EXACTLY how it was written - only the author(s) would know, and they haven't disclosed that information.