Chris Medina tells House Human Services committee assisted typing is ‘life or death’ for some communicators

Chris Medina, a self-advocate from Barrytown who works with Green Mountain Self-Advocates, told the House Human Services Committee on Friday that assisted typing transformed his life and should be recognized as a valid method of communication for people with apraxia or autism.

"To have access to my preferred method of communication is like having access to fresh air and clean drinking water," Medina said in testimony supporting JRH 9, a joint resolution urging the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to reconsider its opposition to rapid prompting and related assisted-typing methods.

Medina described gaining typing in second grade and said it allowed him to express long-suppressed thoughts, succeed academically and later earn a bachelor's degree. He credited facilitated communication with enabling advocacy work and asked the legislature to "recognize typing as a legitimate way of communicating." He also quoted an outside advocate: "Not being able to speak is not the same as having nothing to say," which he cited as central to his message.

Members asked about the evidence base and about concerns voiced by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association that facilitator input can influence outcomes. Representative Doug Bishop raised that critique directly, asking whether assisted-typing output reflects the communicator or the facilitator. Medina and a long-time typing partner told the committee that support varies by individual and that training and trust are essential: the typing partner described training that includes a master trainer and following best practices developed locally (identified in testimony as the Wellspring Guild and the Vermont Communication Task Force).

Medina's mother described the family's early experience: a second-grade exercise that revealed knowledge their son had not been able to express verbally, which she said convinced her that typing reflected his own thoughts and enabled later academic success.

Committee members said they appreciated the resources Medina provided — including a written bibliography and QR resources — and noted the role of technology, including AI tools, in expanding communication options. The committee did not vote on JRH 9 during the session; members thanked the witnesses and moved to the next agenda item.

The committee plans follow-up as needed; no formal action on JRH 9 was recorded during the meeting.