Rosemary Crossley
Encyclopedia
Rosemary Crossley AM is an Australian author and advocate for disability rights and facilitated communication
.
, of Annie's Coming Out, the story of Anne's breakthrough to communication and her release from a large Australia
n care home for children and adults with severe disabilities. Anne's story went on to be made into an award-winning film titled Annie's Coming Out
(also called A Test Of Love) in 1984 starring Angela Punch McGregor
and directed by Gil Brealey
, the screenplay for which was written by Rosemary's partner, Chris Borthwick, with both Rosemary and Anne as contributing writers. The film won Australian Film Institute (AFI)
awards for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Annie's Coming Out tells the story of how Rosemary Crossley developed the form of augmentative and alternative communication
(AAC) now known as facilitated communication
or (as Crossley herself prefers) facilitated communication training. Facilitated communication training is today widely used by people with a variety of communication handicaps. Widespread controversy has continued to accompany its use in the autistic population While a number of peer reviewed scientific studies have concluded that the language output attributed to the clients is directed or systematically determined by the therapists who provide facilitated assistance, a number of other such studies, including the largest (Cardinal, Hansen, and Wakeham, 1996), have found some valid communication. Acceptance of the significance of the technique is increasing among AAC professionals.
Rosemary Crossley went on to establish DEAL (Dignity, Education, Advocacy, Language) Communication Centre, training a wide range of functionally non-verbal people in the use of communication techniques with family, friends and carers.
She later wrote Speechless: Facilitating Communication for People Without Voices about the experiences of several people who first acquired communication through this technique.
Rosemary Crossley has a PhD from Victoria University, Australia
and is a Member of the Order of Australia
(AM)
Facilitated communication
Facilitated communication is a process by which a facilitator supports the hand or arm of a communicatively impaired individual while using a keyboard or other devices with the aim of helping the individual to develop pointing skills and to communicate...
.
Authorship and advocacy
Rosemary Crossley is the co-author, with the late Anne McDonaldAnne McDonald
Anne McDonald was an Australian author and an activist for the rights of people with communication disability....
, of Annie's Coming Out, the story of Anne's breakthrough to communication and her release from a large Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n care home for children and adults with severe disabilities. Anne's story went on to be made into an award-winning film titled Annie's Coming Out
Annie's Coming Out
Annie's Coming Out is a 1984 Australian drama film directed by Gil Brealey. It is based on the non-fiction book Annie's Coming Out by disability activists Rosemary Crossley and Anne McDonald...
(also called A Test Of Love) in 1984 starring Angela Punch McGregor
Angela Punch McGregor
Angela Punch McGregor is an Australian actress.As "Angela Punch" she acted in television serial Class of '75 and had a guest role in situation comedy Alvin Purple ....
and directed by Gil Brealey
Gil Brealey
Gil Brealey is an Australian television and film director, producer and writer.Brealey studied at Melbourne University, where he made his first amateur films around the age of 20. He was a member of the Melbourne University Film society and was a speaker at the Eisenstein Weekend organised by the...
, the screenplay for which was written by Rosemary's partner, Chris Borthwick, with both Rosemary and Anne as contributing writers. The film won Australian Film Institute (AFI)
Australian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
awards for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Annie's Coming Out tells the story of how Rosemary Crossley developed the form of augmentative and alternative communication
Augmentative and alternative communication
Augmentative and alternative communication is an umbrella term that encompasses the communication methods used to supplement or replace speech or writing for those with impairments in the production or comprehension of spoken or written language...
(AAC) now known as facilitated communication
Facilitated communication
Facilitated communication is a process by which a facilitator supports the hand or arm of a communicatively impaired individual while using a keyboard or other devices with the aim of helping the individual to develop pointing skills and to communicate...
or (as Crossley herself prefers) facilitated communication training. Facilitated communication training is today widely used by people with a variety of communication handicaps. Widespread controversy has continued to accompany its use in the autistic population While a number of peer reviewed scientific studies have concluded that the language output attributed to the clients is directed or systematically determined by the therapists who provide facilitated assistance, a number of other such studies, including the largest (Cardinal, Hansen, and Wakeham, 1996), have found some valid communication. Acceptance of the significance of the technique is increasing among AAC professionals.
Rosemary Crossley went on to establish DEAL (Dignity, Education, Advocacy, Language) Communication Centre, training a wide range of functionally non-verbal people in the use of communication techniques with family, friends and carers.
She later wrote Speechless: Facilitating Communication for People Without Voices about the experiences of several people who first acquired communication through this technique.
Rosemary Crossley has a PhD from Victoria University, Australia
Victoria University, Australia
Victoria University is a multi-sector tertiary institution based in Melbourne, Australia with 10 campuses.VU offers qualifications in higher education, vocational education , and short courses...
and is a Member of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AM)