In Austin, Texas, a therapy center is using the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) to help nonverbal autistic individuals communicate. Ally Betchan, a 22-year-old from central Texas, is one of the individuals benefiting from this method. With the help of her instructor, Soma Mukhopadhyay, Ally is learning to spell out messages using a letter board.
The Rapid Prompting Method
Mukhopadhyay’s technique, RPM, is one of several methods intended to help nonverbal people learn to communicate using letter boards held by another person. The method is based on the idea that nonspeaking autistic people may have typical or even extraordinary cognitive abilities, obscured by motor problems and an overwhelmed sensory system.
Proponents of assisted spelling say it has improved the lives of thousands of nonspeakers, some of whom have used it to write memoirs or obtain graduate degrees. However, many medical groups have cautioned against these methods, citing the risk that the person holding the letter board may influence the messages.
Debate and Controversy
The debate over assisted spelling has led to a growing divide among autistic people, families, and the scientific community. Some experts argue that assisted spelling requires urgent examination, while others claim that it has the potential to reveal a person’s own thoughts and capacities.
Despite the potential benefits, there has been remarkably little scientific research evaluating these communication methods. A forthcoming systematic review found that not a single published study has evaluated independent authorship in assisted spelling.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
