'Isn't this just old FC repackaged?'
The line is meant to short-circuit the conversation. The honest answer is more careful, and more interesting.
What has changed in thirty years: explicit motor-learning frameworks; structured fading protocols; defined practitioner training pipelines; a generation of independent adult typists whose own writing is part of the public record; eye-tracking and imaging tools that didn't exist when the original studies were run; and a much clearer separation between teaching motor skill and interpreting messages.
None of that erases the history. All of it is left out when "just FC repackaged" is used as a verdict. The claim that nothing has changed is itself a claim — one made by people who, for the most part, haven't sat in a room with a contemporary practitioner.
The role of training — a note from a long-time FC trainer
In the debates surrounding facilitated communication (FC) over the last 30 years, little attention has been paid to the role of training in the use of FC. There is limited reference to training in the research on the method. The overall impression given in the discussion of the results of studies is that all facilitation is basically the same and that negative influence will occur. There is little weight given to the training and the skills of the facilitators participating in the research when those factors might have had an impact on the performance of the participants.
This may be due in part to the fact that in the 1990s, when facilitated communication was first being introduced, there was no real systematic process for training people to become facilitators. People learned how to use the method in workshops, but there were few opportunities to receive ongoing training and support. Since then, FC practitioners have developed a model for training facilitators and coaches that includes several phases: background information on the method, in-person coaching from trainers, and ongoing coaching to support the continued development of skills for both facilitators and communicators. The development of websites, webinars, and Zoom calls — which did not exist in the 90s — makes follow-up training and coaching much more accessible.
— adapted from an essay by Pascal Cheng, FC trainer.