Douglas Biklen

Biklen has authored and co-authored several books and served on production teams for several documentary films, including 2004's Autism Is a World.

Biklen served in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone during the 1960s,[8] graduated from Bowdoin College in 1967[1][9] and received a Doctor of Philosophy from Syracuse in 1973[10] where he researched intellectual disabilities in individuals in state-run mental hospitals and schools.

[11] Upon completion of his doctorate, Biklen became professor at the Syracuse University the School of Education’s Cultural Foundations, Teaching, and Leadership programs.

[5] Biklen and other advocates claim that individuals with DCD have a sophisticated understanding of spoken and written language, but verbal or motor difficulties prevent them from speaking or typing without assistance.

It was nominated for an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, but its positive portrayal of facilitated communication was criticized by autism researchers.