Jamie Burke

The video Inside the Edge: A Journey to Using Speech Through Typing documents Jamie Burke’s emergence, as a high school student, into speech: he can speak words as he types them and can read the texts he has written, and most recently is beginning to use longer sentences in spoken dialogue.

The video includes clips of Jamie when he first learned to communicate through Facilitated Communication, and shows his ability to now type without physical support. Jamie wrote and speaks the entire narrative of the video, produced by Christ Kasa-Hendrickson, Alicia Broderick, and Douglas Biklen, and directed by J. Gambell.

The full-length video, Inside the Edge: A Journey to Using Speech Through Typing, can be ordered through the Syracuse University – School of Education website. (opens in new window)
 

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About Jamie Burke

Jamie Burke, graduated from Syracuse University in May 2013 with a B.A degree from the College of Arts and Science. For him, college was, “an experience of being able to demonstrate my ability, even with the baffling issues of autism”. Outside of his academics Jamie enjoys reading, attending the Syracuse Symphony, bowling, being at camp on Lake Ontario, and spending time with his family.

Jamie has been using Facilitated Communication for most of his life, and has been included in regular classrooms alongside his peers from preschool on. Since the age of twelve Jamie has successfully honed his skills reading his typed words aloud. He continues to develop his ability to speak his words and work towards even more independence in his typing.

Jamie is an active member of the FC community and frequently shares his journey through his writing and presentations. He aims to teach those he encounters not only about FC, but about respect and true communication on the large scale. He firmly believes that, “having to take time to listen to someone with communication differences may teach the journey of patient worth and joy of connection that is as good as gold”.
 

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In August of 2012, Jamie and co-speaker Christine (Christy) Ashby, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Syracuse University School of Education, presented “Yes, We Do Mean ALL Kids: A Construction of Competence Framework for Inclusive Literacy Instruction.”

Christy is an Assistant Professor in the Teaching and Leadership Department of the School of Education at Syracuse University. She teaches in the Inclusive Elementary and Special Education Program and the Graduate Inclusive Education Programs. She is also the Director of the Institute on Communication and Inclusion (ICI) which conducts research, training and dissemination of information on communication strategies for individuals with disabilities who are non-speaking or who have limited speech.

Click here to download a transcript of the presentation.
(PDF opens in new window)