ABSTRACT
The facilitators represented various levels of educational and background experience in working with individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. In that sense they mirrored the general population of facilitators in the United States. Facilitator 1 (F1) was by far the most experienced in terms of both educational background and experience with the population. Facilitator 2 had worked as a secretary for a number of years at the facility where the study was conducted prior to moving into her present position in service coordination. Facilitator 3 held a bachelor’s degree in psychology. One of them, F1, agreed “completely” with the view expressed by many facilitated communication advocates that autism ought to be redefined as a movement disorder. In describing autism, none of the facilitators independently mentioned the problems in social behavior or the pragmatic communication deficits generally associated with the disorder even though these are considered its hallmark features.
