Final answer:
Douglas Biklen is the individual who popularized facilitated communication in North America, a method meant to assist individuals with communication challenges, particularly autism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individual who popularized facilitated communication in North America was Douglas Biklen. Facilitated communication is a controversial technique where a facilitator supports the hand or arm of a person with communication challenges, typically someone with autism, in order to help them type or point to letters on a board. This method was believed to help those who are non-verbal communicate their thoughts.
Although initially met with optimism in the late 20th century, subsequent scientific scrutiny raised significant concerns about its validity, leading many to question the actual source of the messages produced through facilitated communication.