Career
Biklen learned of work of Rosemary Crossley and developed the theory of facilitated communication in Melbourne, Australia and exported it to the United States. According to this theory, some individuals whose communication is hindered by developmental coordination disorder can communicate with the aid of a facilitator, who supports the patient"s hand while he or she types words on a keyboard. However, critics claim that what the client types is actually produced by the facilitator and has been documented in numerous scientific publications.
In all controlled studies where clients and facilitators are given different information, the client types the name of the object seen by the facilitator, not the clients.
None of these studies have been reviewed by scientific parties in severe disabilities. Biklen co-produced the 2004 film Autism Is a World, directed by Geraldine Wurzburg.
He also produced the film "My Classic Life as an Artist: A Portrait of Larry Bissonnette" at Syracuse University. Biklen has worked at Syracuse University since 1969 and founded the university"s Facilitated Communication Institute in 1992.
Following Burton Blatt as Dean, Biklen has been university leadership with the Center on Human Policy since its inception.
In August 2005, Biklen became Dean of the School of Education. However, Biklen and his faculty have received multi-decade support through competitive scientific competitions, such as the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.
