ASHA Supports Effective Services Leading To Independent Communication
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is dedicated to making effective communication, a human right, accessible and achievable for all. ASHA’s Board of Directors recently approved new position statements that discourage use of two particular techniques, Facilitated Communication (FC) and the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM), because they lack scientific validity and do not foster independent communication. Both statements were open to peer review by all interested parties.
ASHA stands firmly behind its members in support of effective services leading to independent communication for those they serve.
Position Statement: Facilitated Communication
Position Statement: Rapid Prompting Method
All non-press comments and inquiries should be sent to IndependentCommunication@asha.org.
Arlene A. Pietranton, PhD, CAE, ASHA Chief Executive Officer, and Marie Ireland, CCC-SLP, ASHA Vice President for Speech-Language Pathology Practice, discuss the reasons for ASHA’s new position statements on Facilitated Communication (FC) and the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM)—and the process under which they were developed.
What Others Are Saying
A Number of Organization Caution Against Use of FC and RPM
Speech Pathology Australia - Clinical Guideline: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (2012)
Closing the 17-year gap between scientific evidence and patient care (University Affairs, January 17, 2017)
