Underestimated–A New Book by J.B. and Jamison Handley Looks at Facilitated Communication
Last week, SafeMinds Shares detailed a fascinating study which determined that facilitated communication techniques produce authentic ideas and genuine thoughts generated by non-speaking individuals. This week, we are delighted to share an exciting new book which recounts the Handley family’s mind-boggling and joyous experience with Spelling 2 Communicate (S2C), a facilitated communication method that brought their non-speaking son’s thoughts and ideas out into the world. Underestimated was written by the father and son team, J.B. and Jamison “Jamie” Handley. The book details Jamie’s experiences with S2C over the past two years. The method took Jamie from a non-speaking teen with autism locked inside his own world to a teen who is capable of communicating complex ideas and thoughts. In fact, Jamie’s communication became so advanced that he was able to co-author Underestimated with his father, J.B. Throughout their insightful book, we learn that non-speakers with autism, like Jamie, have challenges with initiation and most interestingly, motor planning. We discover that many nonverbal individuals with autism cannot move their body the way they want and their mouths cannot form the words they would like to speak, making it impossible to share thoughts. Additionally, we learn that S2C practitioners have a profound view of autism. They believe the disorder is not a disability of cognition or intellect but a severe malfunction of motor planning.
Underestimated is now available for purchase. Be prepared to be uplifted by Jamie’s story and make sure your tissues are nearby. This is a story you will not soon forget.
