2005: The Telepathy Tapes B-side part 3
PRETEND
02/11/25
•37m
About
Comments
Featured In
Facilitated Communication is marketed as a miraculous tool for non-speaking autistic children. But what happens when this controversial method leads to devastating consequences? In this episode, we hear from Kevin Plantin, a father who was falsely accused of assault based solely on messages typed with the help of a facilitator.
Despite the evidence, some courts and institutions still give FC credibility—with tragic consequences.
In this episode, Kevin Plantan recounts how a letter typed via FC led to his wrongful imprisonment for 10 months on charges of sexual assault. We also revisit the story of Janyce Boynton, a former FC facilitator who now warns against the practice after witnessing its harmful effects firsthand.
Featured guests in this episode:
Kevin Plantin: Sharing his personal story of wrongful imprisonment.
Janyce Boynton: Former FC facilitator and advocate against the practice.
Additional Resources:
- Learn more about Facilitated Communication: https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/
- Read about Syracuse University's involvement with FC: https://dailyorange.com/2024/02/mixed-messages-how-facilitated-communication-persists-at-su/
- Prisoners of Silence documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMn_sDCFAuI
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode
2004: The Telepathy Tapes B-Side part 2
February 4, 2025
•48m
A mother kills her autistic son. Why? Because he asked her to.
The mother claims he used facilitated communication to ask her to help him die. This case is just one of many tied to the controversial method that claims to give a voice to non-speaking autistic individuals. But what if the voice wasn’t theirs at all?
Share Your Thoughts:
Have you listened to The Telepathy Tapes? What do you think about the claims it makes? We want to hear from you! Send a voice memo with your thoughts to javier@pretendradio.org, and your message might be featured in an upcoming episode.
Resources Mentioned:
➜ Learn more about Amy Lutz’s work and her book Chasing the Intact Mind.
https://amzn.to/4gg9Mbe
➜ Read Zaid Jilani’s articles on Facilitated Communication and The Telepathy Tapes on his Substack, The American Saga.
https://www.theamericansaga.com/
➜ Explore the history of Facilitated Communication in the documentary Tell Them You Love Me (available on U.S. Netflix).
https://www.netflix.com/title/81783064
Stay Connected:
Follow PRETEND on social media and subscribe to the podcast for more stories exploring deception and the human condition.
➜ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/pretendpod.bsky.social
➜ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pretendpod/
➜ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pretendpod
➜ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pretendpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Next Episode
2006: Operation Cock Block
February 19, 2025
•49m
A group of women, all with eerily similar stories, say they were deceived—emotionally and financially—by the same man: William Sullivan. But instead of staying silent, they took matters into their own hands. They formed Operation Cock Block, a coordinated effort to expose what they claim were Sullivan’s deceptive tactics and warn others before they fell victim.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
If you like this episode you’ll love
Promoted