Video Analysis: Autism Is A World

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D.J. has cerebral palsy and has been declared by the state of New Jersey to have the mental capacity of a toddler. He is unable to speak.
Anna was a tenured professor of ethics at Rutgers University in Newark. She was also married and has children. In 2007, Anna argued that a person’s intellect — and the degree to which he or she is ‘‘disabled’’ — could be a social construct. Anna cared very deeply about fighting ableism.
D.J.’s brother, Wesley, was on track to earn his Ph.D. and was in one of Anna’s courses. Anna showed her class part of a documentary called “Autism Is a World.” The video focused on a disabled girl who cannot speak and went to college after learning to type using facilitated communication.
Facilitated communication is is a technique used by some caregivers and educators to assist people with educational and communication disabilities. The technique involves physical support of a disabled person’s arm or hand to assist them with moving their hand towards a keyboard. Many people were skeptical of facilitated communication and after several investigations, it is now considered discredited.
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could learn how to use a keyboard. Anna then began working with D.J. using facilitated communication.
D.J. eventually learned how to type and read fluently with the assistance of Anna and a few others. However, D.J.’s family was never able to help D.J. communicate through facilitated communication. D.J.’s mother said that when she tried to grab D.J.’s hand, he would pull it away or scratch her. Anna told her to stop mothering