Students are often told that high school will be the "best years" of their lives, but a great many adolescents- with and without disabilities- find the experience trying.  Certainly, some secondary schools offer a high quality education and many students have memorable and meaningful experiences during these years.  Far too many high schools, however, are socially isolating and lacking in a sense of community.  In addition, many high schools are not particularly responsive to the needs of many subgroups of students including students who are considered average learners (Powell, Farrar, & Cohen, 1985), students who are labeled as gifted (Wang, Reynolds, & Walberg, 1995; Winner, 1996), and students with disabilities (Lipsky & Gardner, 1996; Wang, Reynolds, & Walberg, 1995).

 Many facilitated communication users are realizing both the pleasures and the limitations of the high school experience as they increasingly receive educational services in general education classes and inclusive schools.  For most students, using facilitated communication has helped them to experience a more integrated and fulfilling educational experience, but many FC users find that secondary school presents unique challenges.  In particular, many FC users are struggling to find ways to assimilate their communication strategy into the culture and structure of high schools.

In this article, I will share recommendations for improved high school experiences for students who use facilitated communication.  These recommendations come from a qualitative study I recently conducted with three midwestern high school students: Michael Ward, Candy Stanley, and Ryan Bonds.  (Note:  All names used in this article are pseudonyms.)  All three are high school students who use facilitated communication as a primary form of communication.  Each of these students has used FC for more than five years.  In addition, each has had experience working with more than two facilitators, has used facilitated communication in more than one school, and was able to comment on experiences with several different teachers or programs.

My research was designed to examine the ways high schools responded to students who use facilitated communication.  In this study, I interviewed 25 educators, family members, and students; reviewed over 200 educational documents (work samples, facilitated communication transcripts, etc.), and conducted several observations of the three students.  The words of the FC users were central to the study.  Ryan, Michael, and Candy graciously gave of their time, energy, and expertise and all were incredibly indulgent and supportive of the research.

Through all of these interviews, observations, and reviews of educational documents, suggestions for better high school experiences emerged-suggestions that have the capacity to improve school life for all learners.  The findings of the study indicate that those working in high schools must pay attention to the curriculum for all students, view all students as learners, learn to listen to the words of students, respect the relationships students have cultivated, collaborate with families.  These are not small tasks; they call for a fundamental rethinking of the high school experience.
 

Consider Curriculum

For reasons of personal respect alone, teachers must be sure to provide educational experiences for all students that are age-appropriate, dignified, and interesting.  Educators often make dangerous assumptions about students with communication disabilities, physical disabilities, and perceived cognitive disabilities.  The findings of this study demand that curriculum for students with disabilities be based on the "least dangerous assumption" (Donnellan, 1984).  That is, experiences should be designed with the belief that the "individual with a disability is a 'person first', deserving the same considerations and concern as would be given a person without a disability" (p. 98).

Before they used facilitated communication, all of the students in the study were provided with curriculum that provided little intellectual stimulation, few opportunities for developing interests, a lack of instruction geared towards social skill development and little exposure to literacy.  Michael remembers that some of his teachers provided curriculum that was insulting and meaningless.  His worst schooling memory, he recalled, was being educated in a classroom without books for over a year.

Currently, his curriculum is complex and motivating.  He takes a variety of general education classes and especially excels in mathematics.  In his freshman year, for example, he took English, physical education, music, and home economics.  He also took algebra and at the end of the year, he won an award for his performance in the class.  He was ecstatic: "i am excited the award for algebra was awesome.  i felt like a million bucks".

Despite these successes, Michael continuously communicates a need for more rigor in his schooling: "i would like to do more word problems...i want to do more fc and not stupid questions...i want to be an author...".  He is concerned because, at times, his educational team has decreased academic expectations for him because of the laborious way he communicates.  Michael is not satisfied with this approach.  He has continuously pushed his educators to provide more challenge and to find appropriate adaptations that will increase his engagement in the general education curriculum.

Michael, however, is far from concerned about engaging in the curriculum in unique ways.  Despite a challenging educational history, he has a positive impression of his abilities and he is willing to tackle the standard curriculum.  He knows, in fact, that he must meet the challenge of the general education if he wants to reach his lofty personal goals: "I would like to be a songwriter and write a book and go to college and study the laws because i want tio Michael wants to help people see that sdfg we autistics can be and do whatever we want and should cegf be given the chance".  He feels strongly that teachers must work to make a rigorous education possible for him and for other high school students.

One way Michael responds to academic challenges is by creating adaptations for himself.  For example, he has designed a short-cut for editing his extensive written work.  When Michael works on homework papers he makes changes and corrections by using an index card was used with yes/no written on it.  His facilitator verbally asks Michael the following questions: "Do you want to delete, or re-phrase?"  He then edits his words as needed.  He corrects punctuation and spelling by him pointing to words that needed correcting.  He and his facilitator also build sensory breaks into his writing sessions.  He may stop working for a period of time in order to take a walk or shoot "hoops".  Another adaptation used by this pair helps Michael to do his own reading homework.  His facilitator supports his reading by using an index card to help him stay focused on the printed words.  Using this technique, Michael can remain visually focused as he reads textbooks and other educational materials.

Many researchers claim that curriculum and instruction have focused little attention on marginalized groups and have ignored diversity in classroom materials, content, and teaching approaches (Banks, 1987; Ladson-Billings 1994; Singer, 1992).  Clearly, all students will benefit from a high school that recognizes and appreciates diversity and teaches to a wide range of student needs and gifts.
 

View All Students As Learners

One of the first things Candy Stanley typed was, "Im smart tell people".  Candy, like the other two facilitated communication users in this study, was quite aware of how others perceived her before she began using facilitated communication.  Many of her typed messages urged people to see her differently.

Similarly, in the first communication I had with Ryan for this study, he informed me of his competence several times.  Before I could even introduce myself, he had spelled out, "I can read".  I assured him that I knew about his talents and skills.  When I proceeded with the interview, however, he persisted, "I can read I can read".

Ryan's advocacy has both impressed and educated his teachers.  He constantly reminds his educators of his abilities, often typing, "I hear" or "treat me normal".  He often uses these phrases when he is being introduced to a new person or when he is being evaluated or observed.  Once, during an observation from his audiologist, he typed, "I read" over and over again.  His teacher, Ken Hendler, reports that he "got more and more agitated and angry" during the assessment (the observation was part of an evaluation of Ryan's authorship).  Ken explains: "Ryan gets really emotional about people questioning him and treating him like a human being".

For all of the students in the study, facilitated communication changed the way educators perceived and interacted with them.  The students formed meaningful social relationships with their facilitators and were able to participate actively in conversations.  Teachers' attitudes towards these learners changed because they saw the students as more capable, intelligent, and interesting.  Teachers and other educational personnel reported that they talked more to students, gave them more information, thought they were smarter, and perceived new learning and personality characteristics.

 This evidence of changed perceptions raises an issue of teacher perceptions of students with and without disabilities.  It highlights the fact that perception translates into a variety of actions including how we socialize with students, what opportunities and experiences we allow them to have, how we provide instruction and what curriculum we select, and how we make choices for students' futures.  Unfortunately educators are often wrong about the abilities of their students.  For example, throughout history we have assumed that several different populations of people who behaved differently had significant disabilities including people who were deaf, people with cerebral palsy, and people with autism and other disabilities (Crossley, 1997).  Again and again, we learned that different ways of moving and being do not translate to deviance or disability.  Perhaps, the only thing that can be done to remedy a history of poor judgement and inaccurate assessment is to reframe our assumptions about students' abilities and futures.

All students would be better served if teachers were to view all students as capable learners and provide them with respectful support.  This can happen in dozens of ways.  Teachers can demonstrate respect for students by involving them in complex conversations, providing encouragement, and helping them to access an academic education.

In addition, teachers might make special efforts to involve all students in literacy instruction.  Each one of the students in the study felt that being seen as literate was central to their academic identity and a critical part of being viewed as a learner.  Students saw reading as a way to access skills and knowledge.  In addition, they all felt frustrated about being denied literacy experiences in their educational past.

Michael Ward is increasingly aware of the potential power of his words and has become attuned to advertising his literacy abilities.  On a survey he filled out for his high school social worker Michael communicated his skills: "ij am alsio smart i like to read and write and tell people what i think".  Michael has often indicated that he wants to use his speaking and writing skills to create change.  He has indicated an interest in becoming a "lawyer or advocate' on several occasions.

Candy has engaged in critical discussion and reading, as well.  One special activity she engaged in with Beth Colton, one of her facilitators, was the shared reading of interesting non-fiction books related to disability.  The pair often read books written by Donna Williams, an author with autism who writes about living with her disability.  The two would "go to a quiet space" and read aloud.  Candy felt the books spoke to her experiences and often responded to the reading with movement and vocalizations when she read things that resonated with her own life and experience.

Beth and Candy would also have long serious conversations, sometimes about Candy's disabilities. They also talked about the culture of the high school community.  These conversations were not always easy or comfortable, but they did create an avenue for mutual learning and respect.  These experiences were very different than the types of conversations that had filled Candy's life for so long in school.  They were dignified, respectful, and responsive to Candy's intellect and interests.
 

Collaborate with Families

School organizations must ensure that teachers have adequate training and support in the use of facilitated communication.  All of the schools studied were in need of more formal training on facilitated communication.  At least one staff person directly and closely involved in the education of each of the three students in the study was unsure about what facilitated communication actually was and expressed confusion about how to technically implement it.  At least one educator from each of the three high schools shared feelings of incompetence.

For these reasons, educational teams from all three schools have made attempts to become more educated about facilitated communication.  Personnel from each high school have made efforts to learn about facilitated communication from outside consultants, former facilitators, and from families.

The family members of a facilitated communication user are often the primary facilitators for that individual.  For some students, family members are their most reliable facilitators.  In some cases, mothers, fathers, and siblings of FC users are the only persons with the knowledge needed to promote successful school experiences for the FC user.  This is an especially common scenario for students who are transitioning between schools or services.

When Candy Stanley transferred from one high school to another, her FC support dissolved.  Her primary facilitator did not transfer to the new school with her and the new faculty had little information about the communication strategy.  This was a low period in Candy's education.  Candy's mother remembers the day she went to the principal's office at the new high school to ask for help: "I said if we lose this you've taken part of our life from us you know...I demanded.  I don't know if he realized.  It was so important.  I was in his office, I was crying.  I was screaming.  Don't do this to us, this is all we've wanted for her".
The administration responded immediately.  The speech and language therapist at the school began working with Candy on a more regular and intensive basis and a knowledgeable and reputable consultant experienced in FC training was hired.  These responses proved to be crucial to Candy's success in her new high school.  Her new teachers learned to facilitate with her and she was soon typing more fluently than ever before.

Facilitated communication is an educational strategy that requires more than a teacher merely reading a textbook or listening to a lecture in order to understand it and use it responsibly.  Facilitated communication requires a collaborative team approach, sensitivity, and an open and willing attitude.  Schools and teachers that use FC successfully usually tap into the tremendous resources that families can so often provide.

Families and school personnel should work as a team to support the facilitated communication user.  Constant communication should be exchanged between home and school.  With the permission of the facilitated communication user, materials can be shared between home and school.  Videotape, audio tape, communication logs, facilitated communication transcripts, and other work samples can be exchanged and reviewed by all team members.  Regular communication and a shared focus are critical.
 

Respect Relationships

All three students in my study yearn for friendships with peers and wish to have opportunities to facilitate with them.  Candy has been especially vigilant about trying to cultivate social relationships in her educational life.  She desperately wants more friends and has communicated this to all of her facilitators.  In fact, Candy is sometimes impatient about using facilitated communication to do academic work.  She has different ideas about how she wants to use FC.  She wants to use it primarily as a social tool,  to make friends and meet people.

Unfortunately, Candy has experienced extreme difficulty in making friends and in introducing her communication to other students.  In one instance, Candy identified a classmate, Shelia, as a potential facilitator by repeatedly typing, "Shelia my friend" or "type with Shelia".  Unfortunately, Candy and Shelia were unable to type together when presented with an opportunity.  Shelia, like many others who are unfamiliar with facilitated communication, struggled to understand why Candy could not "perform" when given an opportunity to do so.  This is one example of how desperately students need to have some support for developing and nurturing friendships.  It is also an example of how important it is for teachers to introduce FC to adults and students, to specifically teach about the strategy and to support students as they assimilate their communication systems into high school life.

For all three students, social relationships need to be pursued more extensively.  The ability to use facilitated communication alone did not create opportunities for relationships.  Potential friends or acquaintances of a facilitated communication user are in need of education about the strategy.  Further, the relationships may initially need to be facilitated by an outside party.
Michael has been frustrated about the lack of relationships he has been able to cultivate at school.  While he uses facilitated communication in several different classes this year, he has not yet used it to talk to other students.  He craves opportunities to use facilitated communication for socializing, gossiping, telling jokes, complaining about teachers, and voting for student government.   Michael believes that he will make friends once he is provided with more opportunities to do so.  He feels, however, that the process is a gradual one: "it takes time for students to understand that I have the same thoughts and feelings and I want to take and participate in my high scool just like trhem and tell them that if they were me they would want the same thing".

Maintain Students' Access to their Voices

The teacher had been provided little information about Michael's disability and educational needs and,  therefore, viewed his behavior as non-compliant and aggressive instead of as desperate and frustrated.  She interpreted his laughter as enjoyment, not knowing that Michael often laughs when he is distressed and upset. At home, Raquel, Michael's mother, was able to sit down with Michael and discuss the situation.  She  asked him to tell her about advisory and he told the story from his perspective:

we were talking about honesty and i to say something but i couldnt because no one will fc with me and i am tireds of being ignored and i want to tell [my teacher] that i am smart

she needs to understand that when i am kicking i dont mean to hurt her but if i do not have a to talk then i cant do it cant communicate without fc and i have alot to say.

Michael currently has a facilitator with him at all times, so he does not worry about losing access to his voice in this way.  A new concern about Michael's voice has emerged, however.  People are valuing his speech over his typing.   According to Michael, his verbalizations are usually not functional.  He often reminds those around him to ignore his speech and attend to his typed words:

Fc is how I communicate and the things I say when I am talking are different than what I am thinking because sometimes I get stuck and repeat things and it it sometimes hard for people to know what I am really thinking if the don't fc with me and because they hear what I am saying and not thinking.

Candy experienced similar challenges when attempting to direct the behaviors of her facilitators.  After she began using FC, she became increasingly able to advocate for herself and make discoveries about her communicative needs.  At one point, she communicated a desire to have people talk to her like they "do to each other".  In particular, she wanted her facilitators to remain neutral when they facilitated her typing.  She asked that they "stay out" of facilitated conversations.  Her facilitators agreed to do their best to serve as "facilitator only" when they were not Candy's conversation partner.  This respectful response seemed to improve Candy's comfort level and her communication production.

The FC user must be the one to make all decisions about communication partners, interactions, and conditions.  Only he or she knows what works in a communication relationship.  Some facilitated communication users have success with certain facilitators because of the technical sophistication of the facilitator.  In other instances, the relationship works because the team has practiced and worked together for a long period of time.  Sometimes, a strong relationship between two individuals can translate into a good facilitator/user partnership.  Ryan Bonds told his team that he enjoyed working with one facilitator because he, "limits my autism" and "lets me be myself".
 

Rethink the High School

Michael Ward was largely unsuccessful in his English classes during his freshman year.  He started the year in an academic English class and transferred to another class after "failing to perform" adequately in the first.  One of the most challenging barriers to Michael's involvement in the class was his inability to keep up with the intensive writing requirements in the courses.  He is capable of the work, but has been perceived as unsuccessful, in some ways, due to the atypical ways he must approach these tasks.

Similarly, Candy Stanley was often removed from a general education Spanish class for stomping her feet and for "getting loud".  After several instances of this, Candy's teachers determined that she should receive most of her educational services in special education or community environments.

The structure and demands of the high school setting seemed to cause problems for both teachers and students. Fitting facilitated communication into the structure of high school classes, assessment systems, schedules, and social expectation parameters seemed, at times, impossible for the educators in this study.  There seem to be few options for students who want an academic life, but whose bodies do not allow them to sit and listen quietly, pay attention to the teacher, or otherwise engage in traditional classroom behavior.  As one interviewed teacher said, "You can't change the high school".

Or.can we and should we?  Perhaps a different high school would be beneficial for all learners and teachers, as well.  Many high schools are large and impersonal.  Individual interactions between students and teachers can be rare.  Students with different ways of behaving and thinking have the potential to challenge the ways high schools feel and look.  Further, students who clearly require assistance to be successful may cause us to question the types of emotional, social, and academic supports we offer to all students.

Students with the most unique learning profiles can be catalysts for change and may inspire teachers to evolve as practitioners in unexpected ways.  Ken Hendler, Ryan's special education teacher, feels he has become a better teacher because of Ryan.  Ken has sought information and ideas from his student.  During observations, he often expressed apologies to Ryan for not having more skill or expertise.  Evaluation, reflection, and problem-solving have become a part of Ryan's and Ken's communication interactions.

Ryan's relationship with his teacher is one example of how education structures like the student/teacher relationship can behave and feel differently.  The two men have a partnership that is somewhat different than a traditional teacher/learner relationship.  In this partnership, Ken is not "in charge" and Ryan does not "comply".  Roles in their relationship are collaborative.  The men work as a team to educate one another and to create ways to best support Ryan's education.  They have problem-solved difficulties together on several occasions and have emotionally supported each other during a time when the authorship of Ryan's communication was questioned.  During a meeting of his educational team, Ryan moved close to his teacher and typed this evaluation of his teacher and friend: "[Ken] is good...good teacher...good for me...".

Not every student is a sports hero, prom queen, or academic star; instead, there is real treasure in our high schools in the diversity of their students and teachers.  Schools that challenge students academically, view them as learners, collaborate with their families, respect their relationships and listen to their voices are good for all learners and for their communities. This is a vision of "school excellence" from which we will all draw strength.

Conclusions

Many of the barriers encountered by the students in the study could be eradicated if schools were to take advantage of the tremendous expertise available to them.  Michael Ward feels that teachers can enhance their skills and understanding by attending to the words of students.  As he prepared for his first year of high school, he shared this thought with his mother: "If people do want to teach and learn abot autism and specifically about me they will learn a lot and have oppportunity to grow and if they don't they will have lost a great opportunity".

The most important function of this research was to provide communication users with a place to share their experiences and an opportunity for the rest of us to learn from their words.  This new knowledge should be used to initiate change.  Paulo Freire said, "To affirm that [individuals] are persons and as persons should be free, and yet to do nothing tangible to make this affirmation a reality is a farce" (Friere, 1970, p. 35).  We need to listen now that students have been able to speak.

Students with disabilities must be valued as experts in their own educational lives. The students in this study have been "vocal" about their rights, wants, and needs through facilitated communication.  This information has helped the teachers provide a more appropriate education for their students.  Students have shared information about their physical and emotional needs, how their disabilities impact their learning, and strategies for coping with their disabilities.  Through them we may learn how to better support all learners and how to think differently about the high school.  Students are willing to teach and we must be open to learn.  Michael Ward, for one, is willing to enlighten us all.  In a letter he wrote me prior to his freshman year, he expressed his desire to inspire change: "I registered for [high school] and I was very nervous because they never had a autistic person.  we are going to work on them and hopefully they will learn."

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• Ladson-Billings, G. (1994).  The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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• Winner, E. (1996).  Gifted children: Myths and realities.  New York: BasicBooks.

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