It can do no harm, and may do significant good. At the end of the day there will still be some individuals with SCI for whom the acquisition of literacy skills is difficult or impossible. Fortunately, a number of non-speech communication options such as picture and symbol displays which do not require reading or spelling are available for this group. These options are also appropriate for use by young children and individuals in the process of acquiring spelling skills. Facilitation should be used as necessary to assist non-spellers to make selections from their communication displays.
Facilitation is a strategy for helping individuals to develop pointing skills.
It is not yoked to spelling. Many literate individuals with SCI will never need facilitation because they have unimpaired handskills and many individuals who cannot spell would benefit from facilitation. In the same way that lack of speech should not be confused with inability to read, neither should inability to read be confused with inability to communicate. Literacy may be acquired from print exposure or from formal teaching. All individuals with severe communication impairments should be given the opportunity to acquire literacy skills.