Lucy Blackman
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Lucy Blackman is a university educated Australian author with autism who was the first functionally non-verbal person with autism in Australia to become a published author with her book Lucy's Story (2001). Having began to use typed communication in adolescence Lucy progressed to being an independent typer via the controversial communication technique of Facilitated Communication through Melbourne's DEAL communication centre, run by Rosemary Crossley. As an adult Lucy has given public presentations on her experiences with autism and the importance to her of facilitated communication in having given her a voice. Lucy's ability to communicate via typed communication is, today, undisputed, demonstrating that for at least some functionally non-verbal people with autism facilitated communication is a viable pathway to communication where verbal speech may otherwise never develop.
[edit] Works
- Lucy's Story: Autism and Other Adventures. (Jessica Kingsley, 2001) ISBN 9781843100423
