Talking With Tech AAC Podcast

In this episode of  Talking with Tech, Chris is interviewed by Adina Malamut, a graduate student and Employee Accessibility Specialist at the University of Texas at Dallas. Their conversation explores Adina's professional background, her passion for accessibility, and her role in facilitating workplace accommodations. Chris shares insights from his extensive experience in assistive technology, discussing best practices for training, assessment, and systemic implementation of tools to support individuals with disabilities.   Key Ideas This Week:   Creative Versatility and Experimentation: Adina emphasizes the value of trying different styles and formats in her creative process, especially in comedy. She discusses how experimenting with diverse mediums—from writing and directing to performing—has helped her grow and connect more authentically with her audience.   The Power of Community and Collaboration: She highlights the importance of working with others in the creative field. Adina shares how collaborating with fellow artists and being part of supportive communities has enriched her projects and offered essential feedback and encouragement.   Personal Growth Through Vulnerability: A recurring theme is her willingness to be vulnerable in her work. She talks about how sharing personal stories and embracing imperfections not only deepens her connection with audiences but also contributes to her personal development as an artist.   Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!   Visit bit.ly/twtpod for access to previous episodes, resources, and CEU credits that you can earn for listening to TWT episodes!

In this episode, Christina Schmidt discusses the critical role of cultural competency in AAC, emphasizing the need to honor linguistic and cultural diversity, such as African American English, within communication systems. She highlights the importance of clinicians addressing their own implicit biases and taking a thoughtful, reflective approach when working with families. Christina encourages professionals to build trust gradually, prioritize collaboration, and empower both caregivers and clients to ensure AAC systems truly reflect the user's identity and culture!  

In this episode, Rachel Madel and Chris Bugaj recap their experiences at ATIA 2025, highlighting the value of community-building during the pre-conference and the growing impact of generative AI in AAC and assistive technology. They discuss exciting new tools like Symbol Creator AI and Flex Speak, and reflect on key sessions around policy advocacy, emphasizing the power of personal stories in influencing change. The episode underscores the importance of collaboration, innovation, and using your voice to make a difference in the assistive tech space.   Key Ideas This Episode:   Collaborative Learning and Connection at Pre-Conference and Sessions Chris & Rachel emphasized how the ATIA pre-conference fostered rich conversations and collaboration, particularly for professionals who often feel isolated in the AAC field. Participants valued the chance to share insights, ask questions, and build lasting relationships. The extended format of 1.5 days allowed for deeper dives into topics like coaching and core AAC strategies, enhancing both learning and community-building.   Generative AI and Accessibility Innovations A major theme was the evolving role of generative AI in assistive technology. Presentations explored how AI could enhance AAC use—like suggesting dialogue based on context or location (e.g., at Starbucks)—and improve communication speed and flexibility. Tools like Microsoft's Accessibility Insights, the Flex Speak app for multilingual AAC, and Symbol Creator AI from Global Symbols were highlighted as promising developments that support more inclusive and customizable communication.   Empowerment Through Policy, Advocacy, and Storytelling Amidst concerns over funding and administrative changes, attendees were encouraged to advocate for assistive technology by directly engaging policymakers. A standout session by ATIA's policy advisor Laura Kaloi underscored the impact of personal stories in influencing legislation. The episode closed with a reminder that every professional's and user's voice matters in shaping future access and innovation in the field.   Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!   Visit bit.ly/twtpod for access to previous episodes, resources, and CEU credits that you can earn for listening to TWT episodes!

This week, we share Chris and Rachel's Q&A session with Professor Danielle Reed and her students at Midwestern University. They discuss interdisciplinary collaboration, the importance of mindset in AAC implementation, how occupational therapists can work effectively with speech-language pathologists, and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel touch on Chris's experience teaching AAC to pre-service occupational therapy students, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration, mindset shifts, and the importance of making communication fun and engaging.   Key Ideas This Week:  

This week, we Share Chris's interview with Saffron Murphy-Mann, Helen Hewson, and Andrea Sharples! Saffron Murphy-Mann is a specialist AAC teacher with a background in music, working in both mainstream and specialist settings to support young AAC users in accessing education and demonstrating their knowledge. Helen Hewson is an AAC user born with cerebral palsy, who has been using various forms of AAC since childhood and is now a trustee of Communication Matters, advocating for AAC awareness and supporting others on their communication journeys. Andrea Sharples is a speech and language therapist and the director of AT Therapy, an independent practice that provides AAC mentoring and support, employing AAC users with lived experience to inspire and guide others. All three are actively involved in Communication Matters, contributing to the organization's mission of empowering AAC users and fostering a supportive community through conferences and advocacy!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel discuss the balance between accessibility and privacy, particularly in the context of AAC devices and personal information. They explore concerns about exposing personal identifying information on devices and luggage tags, while also considering how to maintain security and accessibility for users with fine motor challenges, such as using strong passwords with tools like sticky keys.   Key Ideas This Week:  

This week, we present Part 1 of our TWT Live episode, “Vibes of AAC”! TWT Live episodes include interactions with the audience, including feedback and questions! This week, Chris and Rachel discuss the critical role of modeling language for AAC users, emphasize the importance of coaching communication partners, and highlight the significance of fostering a mindset that supports literacy for all children!   Key Ideas this Week:   The Power of Inclusive AAC Events – The discussion about the open mic night at the Communication Matters conference highlighted the importance of creating inclusive, public spaces where AAC users can express themselves, perform, and interact with a diverse audience. This fosters greater awareness and acceptance of AAC communication in the wider community.   Privacy Considerations for AAC Users – The episode explored the issue of privacy for AAC users, particularly in public settings where others can see their message formulation. This raised important questions about how to support AAC users' preferences for display and output features, balancing accessibility with personal privacy.   Coaching and Encouraging AAC Modeling – A major theme was the challenge of getting educators and caregivers to consistently model AAC use. The conversation emphasized the importance of coaching, structured support, and making AAC modeling a natural part of daily routines to help AAC users develop strong communication skills.   Visit talkingwithtech.org to listen to previous episodes, find new resources, and more!   Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!

This week, Chris interviews Dr. May Ajuis! Dr. Ajuis is a speech and language therapist with the National Assistive Technology Team in Malta!, She is also involved with the World Health Organization as a member of their Assistive Technology Advisory Group, and serves as a lecturer at the University of Malta. Dr. Ajuis shares about her doctoral work with AAC and her efforts to train teachers and develop AAC resources across Malta!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel discuss the concept of “best” practices and why, in their opinion, using that phrase in the context of therapy can potentially be confusing, or even a turn off, to others.   Key Ideas this Week:  

This week, we share Chris's interview with Dr. Sam Brydon! Dr. Sam Brydon is a speech and language therapist and researcher based in New Zealand who works with Torque Link, a nonprofit that conducts AAC assessments and provides support and training across the country. She balances this role with efforts to disseminate her doctoral research, which focuses on coaching and professional development for implementing AAC effectively!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel dive into a great listener question. The listener has an 8-year-old child with cerebral palsy and cortical visual impairment who uses eye gaze to access his AAC device. They are considering adding more words to the device, but are unsure if this is a good idea. Chris and Rachel share why the family should follow their gut to push for more words on the device, highlighting the importance of presuming potential in every child.   Key Ideas This Week:   The Importance of Coaching in AAC Implementation: Dr. Brydon emphasizes that coaching, rather than simply delivering workshops or direct therapy, is crucial in supporting parents, teachers, and other communication partners to effectively implement Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) strategies. Collaborative coaching that includes practice, feedback, and reflection is essential for lasting change.   Challenges and Solutions in AAC Adoption: She highlights barriers such as the misuse of AAC tools (e.g., as behavior management tools) and the difficulty communication partners face in mastering AAC strategies. Her research shows that success hinges on providing consistent, hands-on coaching to help partners integrate AAC into daily routines and interactions.   The Role of Motivation and Motor Planning: Dr. Brydon discusses the importance of ensuring AAC systems are motivating for children and that they utilize consistent motor planning. She notes that tools like core boards and approaches like LAMP (Language Acquisition through Motor Planning)   can enhance accessibility and engagement for users.   Visit talkingwithtech.org to listen to previous episodes, find new resources, and more!   Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!

This week, we share Chris's interview with Ceanna MacGregor and Melanie Boyd! Ceanna is an AAC specialist and teacher working with CALL Scotland, an organization that supports staff and pupils in overcoming barriers related to assistive and communication technologies. Melanie Boyd is an AAC consultant who runs her own consultancy called Communication Angel. Melanie's career shift into AAC was inspired by the communication needs of her daughter. Ceanna and Melanie share about their participation in the professional learning network, Scottish AAC Geeks, and some of the benefits they have both received participating in this group.   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel share a listener question about her son's device being wiped, highlighting the need for multiple backups you can access if something happens to the AAC device.   Key ideas this week:  

This week, Chris interviews Owen McGirr (@OwenMcGirr), a software developer who is a passionate advocate for accessibility in technology! Living with cerebral palsy and using adaptive switches himself, Owen has dedicated his career to creating tools that empower people with disabilities. His innovations include apps like Switchify (switchifyapp.com), which allows users to control Android devices with adaptive switches, and SayIt, an AAC app tailored for effective communication. Through his open-source projects and relentless drive, Owen is transforming technology to be more inclusive and empowering for all!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel discuss why switches can be an overlooked option for AAC users with access issues. They stress the need for professionals to consider a variety of access methods, including switches, to ensure families are aware of all available options!   Key Ideas This Week:   Importance of Backup Systems: Rachel advocates for having a backup communication system, such as partner-assisted scanning, especially for users of eye tracking. She explains that eye tracking can be fatiguing, and having alternative methods ensures reliable communication.   The Role of AI in Development: Owen highlighted how generative AI plays a significant role in his work, aiding tasks like coding, debugging, and brainstorming. However, he emphasized that AI serves as a supportive tool requiring human oversight to ensure accuracy and functionality.   Empowerment Through Personalization: Owen's journey with AAC devices underscores the importance of personalized technology. From starting with basic tools to creating solutions that suit his needs, he advocates for user autonomy in choosing the best tools and methods to empower users to communicate and interact with technology on their own terms.   Visit talkingwithtech.org to listen to previous episodes, find new resources, and more!   Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!

This week, we share Part 2 of Chris and Rachel's TWT Live episode recorded at the 2024 Arkansas Speech and Hearing Association! In this half of the episode, they share about modeling, teaching AT tools, strategies to support language development, and more!   Before the interview, Rachel shares about her experience teaching her grandmother to use a screen reader to regain independence despite vision loss. They discuss the broader implications of teaching technology usage, advocate for integrating tools like the Pomodoro Technique into education, the need for accessible design, and more!   Key Ideas this Episode:   Overcoming Barriers to AAC Adoption: The hosts emphasized the importance of asking questions to uncover the reasons behind resistance or challenges in implementing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). This approach helps identify specific roadblocks and creates opportunities to educate and empower teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents.   The Role of Coaching and Modeling: The conversation highlighted the importance of hands-on coaching and modeling AAC use directly in classrooms. This strategy allows educators to learn by example and practice implementing AAC tools effectively, fostering better long-term adoption and skill development.   Inclusive Decision-Making and Customization: Engaging all stakeholders (teachers, parents, service providers, and students) in a structured decision-making process ensures that AAC tools and strategies are well-suited to the student's needs. This collaborative approach builds ownership and buy-in, making implementation more successful and sustainable.   Visit talkingwithtech.org to listen to previous episodes, find new resources, and more!   Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!

This week, we share Part 1 of Chris and Rachel's TWT Live episode recorded at the 2024 Arkansas Speech and Hearing Association! The episode touches on several topics, including using AI to analyze language from Gestalt Language Processors, getting buy in from teachers, and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel discuss the some of the controversy surrounding “revoicing,”which involves a communication partner restating or clarifying messages from an AAC user.   Key Ideas this Episode:  

In this episode of Talking with Tech, Chris, Melissa, and Maggie Bugaj reflect on the  Disney+ movie Out of My Mind! This film centers around a young AAC user with cerebral palsy, and has sparked a lot of conversations about AAC online.  The Bugaj family talks about how we can take the popularity of this movie to continue and share the message of inclusive education and support for AAC!   1. Presuming Potential and Inclusive Education: The episode emphasizes the importance of assuming all students, including those with disabilities, have potential. Teachers, families, and educators are encouraged to provide opportunities for students with disabilities to thrive in general education settings, advocating for systemic change rather than blaming individual limitations.   2. The Role of Relationships and Communication Tools: Highlighting the significance of AAC, the Bugaj family discusses how multiple forms of AAC can enable effective communication. The relationships built between students, teachers, and parents are crucial for understanding individual needs and fostering inclusive environments.   3. Shifting Attitudes in Education: The movie serves as a call to action for educators to reflect on their practices and biases. It challenges educators to embrace training and resources to support inclusive education, an important concept as general education increasingly incorporates special education responsibilities. The movie illustrates that change begins with educators understanding and altering the environment, rather than trying to change the individual.   Visit talkingwithtech.org to listen to previous episodes, find new resources, and more!   Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!

This week, we share Chris's interview with Kristen Hughes and Amy Kennedy! Kristen and Amy both work for Baldwin County Public Schools; Kristen as a speech-language pathologist and Amy as a special education resource consultant. Kristen is also a parent of a six-year-old son who uses AAC. Kristen is transitioning into a new role as an AAC specialist within her school district, and she wanted to ask Chris more about the Specific Language System First approach, leveraging collaboration, refining selection processes, and supporting educators with resources and training.   Before the interview, Chris shares experiences from a recent classroom lesson that unexpectedly turned into a broader discussion about fostering AAC culture for a whole school!   Key ideas this week:  

This week, Chris and Rachel share about NotebookLM.google.com, an AI website that will do things like create an actual “podcast episode” about an uploaded document or webpage! Chris and Rachel share some of the things they have created with this tool and ideas about how to quickly create engaging materials for your students.   Key Ideas this Week:  

This week, we share Rachel's interview with Anand (@anandmurthy) and Amanda Murthy (@amandajanemurthy)! Anand and Amanda's son, Maverick, is affected by infantile spasms, a rare form of epilepsy.  Maverick has undergone multiple brain surgeries and faced numerous challenges related to his condition. Anand and Amanda share about their journey to raise awareness about infantile spasms, the importance of collaboration among healthcare providers, the need for comprehensive support systems for families of children with complex medical needs, and more!   Key Ideas this Week:   The Complexity of Infantile Spasms Anand and Amanda share the difficulty in diagnosing and treating their son Maverick's condition, infantile spasms, a rare form of epilepsy. They discuss the challenges of working with a medical system that often lacks awareness of infantile spasms and the need for immediate intervention, such as EEGs, to properly diagnose and manage it.   The Importance of Advocacy and Persistence: The Murthys emphasize the importance of advocating for their child in the medical system, navigating insurance challenges, and ensuring Maverick receives appropriate care. They discuss how parents need to be assertive with insurance companies and sometimes even with medical professionals to secure necessary treatments.   Collaboration in Therapy and AAC: The interview highlighted the significance of a multidisciplinary approach to Maverick's therapy, including speech, occupational, and physical therapy, as well as ABA for autism. They also touched on the challenges of using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for a child with complex needs and the importance of having a cohesive and collaborative team to support his progress.   Visit talkingwithtech.org to listen to previous episodes, find new resources, and more!   Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!

Jessica Gerth and Jaclyn Lewis   This week, we share Chris's interview with Jessica Gerth and Jaclyn Lewis! Jessica (@chaoscommunicationconverse) is a speech pathologist who utilizes TTRPGs to enhance communication and social skills among her students. Jaclyn (@wranglerofchaos) is a writer, youth worker, and game master who wrote "Rolling with the Youth," a book focusing on fostering safe and fun spaces through role-playing games. Together, they emphasize the importance of inclusivity in gaming, aiming to provide all children, regardless of their backgrounds or abilities, a place at the table!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel discuss their shared sense of optimism for the future of AAC, and some of the possible sources for their positive outlook. They connect this optimism with the concept presuming potential, which requires an unwavering belief that students have the potential to grow and make progress!   Key ideas this week:   The Power of Role-Playing Games (RPGs) in Education and Therapy: Jessica and Jaclyn emphasize how tabletop role-playing games, like Dungeons & Dragons, can be used for educational and therapeutic purposes. These games provide opportunities for language development, social skills practice, and creativity. Jessica shares how she incorporates elements of these games into her work with students, particularly those on the autism spectrum, helping them with communication and engagement.   Inclusivity in RPGs: The interview highlights the importance of creating inclusive spaces in role-playing games. Jaclyn discusses her work on making RPGs accessible to everyone, particularly younger players and those from diverse backgrounds. She and Jessica both emphasize the role of representation, where characters like Yumi, who uses an AAC device, offer both visibility and understanding of different abilities within the game.   Safe and Supportive Game Environments: Jessica and Jaclyn explore how to create a safe environment for players through tools like "Session Zero," where expectations are set, and safety tools like the X-card, which allow players to signal discomfort. This ensures that games are not only fun but also emotionally and socially supportive for players of all backgrounds and abilities.   Links from this Episode:   “Rolling with the Youth” by Jaclyn Lewis: https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Rolling-with-the-Youth.html   Visit talkingwithtech.org to listen to previous episodes, find new resources, and more!   Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech! .

This week, we share Rachel's interview with Amanda Diekman! Amanda (@lowdemandamanda)is an autistic adult and parent of three neurodivergent children who advocates for a shift away from traditional parenting models that prioritize control and demands. She suggests that accommodating children's needs and reducing expectations can foster better emotional connections. The interview underscores the significance of empathy, patience, and the need for adults to reflect on their own emotional responses to better support children in navigating their challenges!   Before the interview, Rachel and Chris discuss some recent work that Rachel is doing on a yet-to-be-released update of her course, AAC Ally!  Rachel shares that, since the previous version of AAC Ally focused more on assessment, the new version of AAC Ally will focus more on implementation and treatment. Rachel suggests that you sign up for her newsletter at rachelmadel.com/optin to receive updates on when the updated AAC Ally releases!   Key Ideas this Episode:   Radical Acceptance and Safety: Amanda emphasizes the importance of creating a sense of safety in children by aligning expectations with their capabilities. This involves understanding and accepting children as they are, without imposing overwhelming demands that trigger stress and make them feel unsafe.   Non-Verbal Communication and Co-Regulation: Amanda explains that much of the communication with children, especially neurodivergent ones, can be non-verbal. Parents and caregivers should rely on their own nervous systems to co-regulate, recognizing distress signals and providing calm and connection to bring children back to a state of safety.   Letting Go of Control: A major aspect of low-demand parenting is learning to release control and lower demands when children are overwhelmed. Rather than doubling down on rules or consequences, Amanda advocates for letting go of unrealistic expectations in the moment to restore emotional safety and connection.   Visit talkingwithtech.org to listen to previous episodes, find new resources, and more!   Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!

This week, we interview Brianna Hughes and Tiffany Rezvani! Brianna and Tiffany are Speech-Language Pathologists and AAC Specialists based in Northern California. They share all about the free AAC screening tool they created, called AAC Screening, that helps educators and clinicians efficiently identify students who may benefit from AAC devices!   Before the interview, Chris shares some exciting news about going to Communication Matters in the UK this year! Chris will try and gather recordings while he is at the conference to share on a future podcast!   Key Ideas this Week:   Development of an AAC Screening Tool: Brianna and Tiffany created an AAC screening tool designed to streamline the assessment process for students in moderate and moderate-severe self-contained classrooms, particularly focusing on younger students (pre-K to kindergarten). This tool helps identify students who need AAC support more efficiently, allowing professionals to allocate more time to implementation rather than lengthy assessments.   Benefits of Screening and Implementation: The AAC screening tool has reduced the stress on staff by ensuring that students are identified early, speeding up the provision of AAC devices, and freeing up time for training and support. This approach aligns with the specific language system first model, emphasizing quicker access to AAC and increased focus on real-world application and modeling rather than exhaustive device trials.   Building a Supportive AAC Culture: By screening entire classrooms and often standardizing the systems used within them, the tool has helped foster a more confident and capable environment among teachers and staff. This approach has integrated AAC into daily routines and academic curricula, leading to improved communication and literacy outcomes for students, which benefits everyone involved in the education process.   Links from This Episode:   AAC Screening Tool: aacscreen ing.com   Visit talkingwithtech.org to listen to previous episodes, find new resources, and more!   Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!

This week, Chris interviews Marnina Ellis and Marisa Portanova, two speech-language pathologists at Blythedale Children's Hospital, the only independent specialty children's hospital in New York State! Marnina and Marisa share about their role on the core assistive technology (AT) team, ideas for supporting AAC users and their families outside the hospital, taking a team-based approach to treatment, and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel share about starting the school year and how changing school teams often bring a certain amount of new energy to school sites. Chris also shares about one of his favorite things to start the school year - donning the costume of Shadow the Dog, the mascot for his wife's elementary school!   Key Ideas This Week:   1. Collaborative Approach to AT and AAC: Marnina and Marisa emphasize the importance of a collaborative approach at Blythedale Children's Hospital, involving a core AT team that includes speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and a rehab engineer. This team works together to provide comprehensive support to pediatric patients with complex needs, ensuring that assistive technology solutions are tailored to individual requirements and are integrated into the patients' everyday lives.   2. Focus on Family and Community Involvement: The interview highlights the hospital's commitment to involving families in the therapy process, empowering them to feel comfortable and capable of using assistive technology with their children. They aim to provide ongoing education and support to families, recognizing that successful communication strategies need to be practiced in all environments, including home and school.   3. Make Learning Language Fun: Marnina and Marisa discuss their implementation of group therapy sessions that focus on fun, engaging activities like games and themed literacy projects, which allow children to interact socially while working on communication goals. This creates a supportive, interactive environment that promotes skill development and community building among AAC users.   Links From This Episode:   TED Talk - Derek Shivers: How To Start a Movement   Visit talkingwithtech.org to listen to previous episodes, find new resources, and more!   Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!

This week, we share a series of “Small Talks,” e.g. short recordings (less than 15 minutes) about a single topic of interest with guests Amy Mayer, Judy Schoonover, Remi Moran, and Tiffany Zaugg!   Before the Small Talks, Rachel discusses presenting ant an online autism summit about some of the fundamentals of AAC. Meanwhile, Chris shares about recording some trainings on the “specific language system first approach” with some groups in Israel, including a presentation at the ISSAC Israel Conference where participants watched a prerecorded video, then did a live Q&A over Zoom.   Small Talks This Episode:   Amy Mayer: Question Slips - Sometimes, as a teacher, it gets overwhelming constantly being asked questions that are about trivial things, like using the bathroom or which color pen to use, and Question Strips are a strategy that can help! You put students in teams, and they are given slips that allow them to ask a question. The trick is, there are a limited number of slips, and all members of the group must sign off that this is what they want to ask. This dramatically reduces irrelevant question. Since students often want to save the slips for another time, they collaborate and solve their problems themselves!   Judy Schoonover - Favorite Purchases from the Dollar Store: Something as simple as a pool noodles can be used as a pencil grip, as adaptive seating, converted into a foot fidget, made into a whisper tube, and more!  Similarly, the Dollar Store sells thin kitchen rugs (18 x 24) are velcro sensitive, so when you fasten velcro dots to something, it will stay and not move! Tips on uses for Dollar Store cookie sheets, plastic protectors, plastic plates, and push lightsare also shared!   Remi Moran: Creating a 50 Inch Touchscreen out of a TV - Remy bought an infrared frame that goes around his TV. The frame acts as a mouse pointer, essentially converting the TV into a large touchscreen. Remy shares how he puts videoes at the top and practices using AAC with his daughter at the bottom.   Tiffany Zaugg: DebriefScape - UCF has a tool called debrief scape that allows you take video you have and tag certain moments on the video. you want to discuss. You can also tag lots of different spots on the video. This tool can be really useful for providing coaching and feedback when teaching someone about AAC using video, as recommended in programs like SMORRES.   Links from This Episode::   Pool Noodles as Assistive Technology: https://blog.therapro.com/pool-noodle-as-assistive-technology/   Dollar Store Hacks for the Classroom https://www.weareteachers.com/50-dollar-store-hacks-for-the-classroom/    Writing Wizard: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/writing-wizard-school-ed/id631446426   Word Wizard: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/word-wizard-for-kids-school-ed/id447312716   DebriefScape: https://www.cs.ucf.edu/~ceh/EDGrants/DScape/ 

This week, Rachel and Chris interview the superstar members of the “Stepping Into AAC” project - Carole Zangari, Tabi Jones-Wohleber, Rachel Langley, and Michaela Ball! The “Stepping Into AAC” team shares about the core mission of the project: to introduce people to AAC, to guide them through the early months of using these new communication tools and strategies, and to offer resources to engage school teams and other caregivers. The program is divided into 20 parts with the intention to complete one part a week, making it more manageable!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel share about their experience over the summer meeting up in Virginia! Chris also shares about Jennifer Wexton, a congresswoman with progressive supranuclear palsy who recently became the first person to use AAC on the floor of the House of Representatives!   Key Ideas This Episode:   Family-Centered AAC Education and Support:  The “Stepping Into AAC" project focuses on helping families understand and implement AAC through accessible training materials. These materials include videos, hands-on activities, and newsletters designed to empower families of individuals with Angelman syndrome and other AAC users by offering practical tools for communication development.   Habit Formation as Key to AAC Success: The “Stepping Into AAC” project emphasizes the importance of habit formation for long-term success with AAC. By breaking AAC learning into manageable steps and activities spread over 100 days, the program encourages families to develop habits that integrate AAC into daily life, making it more natural and sustainable over time.   Building Community Around AAC: The project recognizes the need for community, not just around the individual AAC learner but also for families. This includes support from other families on the AAC journey, professionals, and local communities, creating a sense of shared experience and providing much-needed encouragement and credibility to families advocating for their loved ones.   Links from This Episode:   Stepping Into AAC: https://www.angelman.org/stepping-into-aac/    Eleven Labs: https://elevenlabs.io/

This week, we present a Recast episode of Rachel's interview with Rachel Dorsey, an amazing autistic SLP who teaches courses on neurodiversity and goal writing. Recast episodes are previous episodes of TWT that Chris and Rachel want to highlight. In this Recast, Rachel Dorsey shares her perspectives on neurodiversity, how to help shift the perspectives of others to better affirm neurodiversity, the importance of co-regulation for Autistic people, and more!   Before the interview, Rachel and Chris sit down with Melissa Bugaj and Sara Gregory to have a quick roundtable banter about gestalt language processing (e.g. scripting) vs analytical language processing, and ways that all people may use both methods to learn language.   Key ideas this week:  

This week, we present a Recast of Chris's interview with Dr. Rebecca Moles! Recast episodes are previous episodes from the early days of TWT that Chris and Rachel want to highlight! In this Recast, Dr. Moles shares the importance of communication and AAC in preventing child abuse, the categorization of abuse types, the need for educators to equip children with the language necessary for self-advocacy, and more!   Before the interview, Chris, Rachel, and former host Lucas Stuber share some of their experiences with abuse and neglect, and highlight some of the strategies they have used to give children access to the language they need to report abuse and neglect.   Key Ideas this Episode:  

This week, we present a Recast of a previous “roundtable discussion” between  Rachel, Chris, and previous host Lucas Stuber on early intervention and AAC! (Note: Recast episodes are episodes from the early days of TWT that Chris and Rachel want to highlight again). In this episode, Rachel shares her experiences with using AAC with very young children and discusses the benefits and challenges with early AAC implementation. They explore the misconception that AAC might hinder verbal development, as well as parental concerns regarding AAC as “screen time”, the importance of multimodal communication options, and more!   Before the episode, Rachel shares that she no longer agrees with a position she shared on the podcast. In the roundtable, she shares that PECS can be a good option for learning initiation skills with AAC. Rachel no longer believes PECS is a good option for teaching language initiation to emergent communicators. Rachel clarifies that high-tech devices offer more robust and flexible communication options, which are usually more effective in supporting language development. She no longer suggests delaying the introduction of high-tech AAC if at all possible.   Key Ideas this Episode:  

This week, we share a “Recast” of Chris's interview with Kathy Howery! “Recast” episodes are episodes from the early days of Talking with Tech (with improved audio) that share important ideas Chris and Rachel want to highlight! Kathy is an AAC specialist, researcher, and educational consultant from Alberta, Canada who emphasizes the importance of understanding the lived experiences of AAC users from their perspective. She also shares about how therapy practices can improve by focusing on the personal, emotional, and social aspects of AAC use, and why AAC users should be provided with multiple communication modalities to better demonstrate their intelligence and capability!   Before the interview, Chris, Rachel, and the previous host of TWT, Lucas Stuber discuss the lived experience of AAC users and the importance of being empathetic and supportive in our therapy.    Key Ideas This Episode:  

This week, Chris interviews Caroline Woeber! Caroline is an SLP specializing in AAC at Children's Hospital Colorado, including working at their Angelman/Chromosome 15 Disorder clinic. Caroline shares all about supporting communication and AAC in the hospital environment, training parents and caregivers about AAC, identifying next steps when teaching people with Angelman syndrome to use AAC, and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel answer a fascinating listener question about a complex communicator at their school whose parents want the student to use sign language instead of AAC. However, the school is pushing for AAC only. Chris and Rachel unpack this question, noting that it is often best for complex communicators to have multiple familiar communication modalities available.   Key Ideas this Episode:  

This week, Chris is interviewed by Benjamin Gibbs! Benjamin is a student at George Mason University studying Assistive Technology who is completing a school project interviewing Chris, and Chris asked if the conversation could go on the podcast! Ben has cerebral palsy that affects his walking gait and verbal speech. He uses a combination of verbal speech and AAC to communicate, depending on his communication partner and the context. Benjamin interviews Chris about evaluating students for AT, the importance of sharing AAC concepts with everyone at a young age, Benjamin's lived experience as an AAC user, and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel discuss a listener question about adding a student who is adding words to his device without much consideration for where those words should be long term. Chris and Rachel discuss why we usually don't need to lock a student out of editing their device, and ways that we can teach and shape the desire to add words  into something positive!   Key Ideas this Episode:  

This week, we share Chris's interview with Amy Mayer! Amy is the founder and CEO of friEdTech (https://friedtechnology.com/), a company that provides educational technology (EdTech) professional development for educators. Amy talks about her recent book, Beyond Worksheets, which provides resources for teachers to utilize EdTech tools and to inclusively redesign education for everyone! She and Chris discuss the impact of AI on education and writing, ideas for creating meaningful professional learning experiences, and more!   Before the interview, Rachel updates Chris about one of her clients, including how a fun collaborative creative writing exercise led to improvements in both his writing and spoken language!    Key Ideas This Episode:  

This week, we share Rachel's interview with Karina Carter and Nicole Young! Karina Carter is a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) at Children's TheraPlay, where horses are used therapeutically to support children with disabilities and/or unique needs, including complex communicators! Nicole is the mother of TY, an AAC User who is one of Karina's clients. Karina shares all about equine speech therapy with AAC Users, and Nicole shares about her son's journey becoming an AAC user and (eventual) horse lover with Karina's help!   Before the interview, Chris shares about his wife's recent completion of a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, and his son, Tucker's, quest to become a Veterinarian! Congrats Dr. Bugaj and good luck Tucker!   Key Ideas this Episode:  

This week, we share Rachel's interview with the amazing Occupational Therapist (OT) Elisa Wern! Along with being a school-based OT, Elisa speaks and writes about issues related to AAC and OT, including that OTs can have a critical role in the AAC consideration and implementation process! Elisa shares ideas for supporting students with sensory processing issues, the need for OTs to get involved earlier to support writing at an early age, the importance of teaching AAC Users how to type, and more!   Key ideas this week:  

This week, we present Chris's interview with some of the Fairfax County Public Schools AT Team: Jeff Sisk, Meaghan Tracy, Jennifer Carr, Ashley Kiley, and Colleen Kalamajka! They gather to share about the life of AAC/AT Specialist Jeff Powers, who passed away in 2023. They celebrate some of the many things he brought to his work with AAC, including helping people feel OK even if they don't know everything, early support for the Specific Language System First Approach, his work sharing AAC on platforms like Youtube, and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel discuss the recent addition of automatic transcripts to Apple Podcasts, and some of the previous “behind the scenes” work that was done to provide transcripts for TWT episodes.   Key Ideas this Week:  

This week, we share Chris's interview with Dr. Yoosun Chung, former president of USSAAC, activist, professor at George Mason University, and AAC user! Dr. Chung shares about her journey from South Korea to the United States to learn English and pursue higher learning, her first introduction to high-tech AAC as a doctoral student in assistive technology, her work as co-chair of the 2023 ISSAAC conference in Cancun, and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel have a fun discussion about suno.com, an AI song generator that creates some incredible songs about AAC - right on the spot! Chris and Rachel talk about how fun the tool is, and Rachel reflects on some of the motivating therapy lessons that she can create with this tool!   Key Ideas this Week:  

This week, we share Rachel's interview with Chantelle Hutchinson (@dysphagiacommunity)! Chantelle is a Speech-Language Pathologist who works with adults with acquired brain injury and progressive neurological conditions. She shares about some of the factors that make working with clients with acquired brain injuries, like traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke, unique, including: how AAC needs can be different, the impact of frequently changing communication partners, the value of getting to know the client before writing goals, and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel chat about why podcasting should be considered and supported more often as a form of professional development. When we make education more engaging, it leads to better outcomes and retention!   Key Ideas This Week:  

This week, we share part two of Rachel's interview with Tiffany Joseph! Tiffany is an autistic mother of three neurodivergent teens, as well as an educator, advocate, and a part-time AAC User with inconsistent verbal speech.  She shares about her experience as a gestalt language processor, how she thinks AAC could help students mitigate their gestalts, her perspective on Spelling to Communicate, and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel answer a listener question about “seasoned SLP‘s” in the listener's school district who said that “high-tech AAC wasn't appropriate for kids with lots of behaviors.” Chris and Rachel discuss the question, noting that behaviors are often reduced when a student has a device, and they wonder whether those “seasoned” SLPs should reconsider their openness to new ideas.  

This week, we present Part 1 of Rachel's interview with the amazing Tiffany Joseph (@nigh.functioning.autism)! Tiffany is an autistic mother of three neurodivergent teens, as well as an educator, advocate, and a part-time AAC User with inconsistent verbal speech.  She explains more about situations when verbal speech becomes difficult, the ways that writing text out before hand helps her , strategies she uses when she loses verbal speech, and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel discuss a listener question from a parent of a teen who wants more authentic inclusion for her child, but she feels like encouraging more authentic inclusion is not very achievable. Chris and Rachel discuss the difficulty living in a world that isn't universally designed, how we can use IEP accommodations to support UDL, cultivating belonging through inclusion, and more!   Key ideas this week:  

This week, Chris and Rachel interview Bob Sagoo! Bob is the father of Harchie, an 18-year-old young man with cerebral palsy who uses an AAC device with eye tracking to communicate (along with other modalities). Bob shares about Harchie's AAC journey, Bob's work to get Harchie mainstreamed in school, Harchie going to college, and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel talk about delivering fun experiences while teaching about language with AAC! They share about why we need to bring playfulness and a playful energy, and some ideas for ways we can bring the fun, like humor, music, dressing up, painting, and modifying games!   Key ideas This Week:  

This week, we hear Chris's interview with Beth Moulam and Joanna Holmes! Beth is a master student, former Paraolympian, a Trustee of Communication Matters (a branch of ISSAC), and patron of a charity called One Voice. She is a multi modal communicator who often uses AAC devices to communicate. Joanna (@mummyvsaac on Instagram) is the mother of Lucy, a 9-year-old multimodal communicator with a complex medical history that includes a genetic component. They share about Beth's AAC journey, the importance of a language rich environment on AAC development, the multimodal nature of communication, and more!  

This week, Chris interviews Daniel O'Conner and Bradley Haven of All Access Life! All Access Life is a nonprofit that showcases the latest trends and movements in adaptive products and assistive technologies on their website allaccesslife.org. They share about how they met when Daniel was Bradleys Aide in high school (Bradley has nonverbal Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy), how they came to decide to create a nonprofit together, and how they developed their mission to share information about adaptive products. They also discuss Bradley's AAC journey and how the technology has progressed from the switches Bradley used as a teenager to his current eye tracking he uses on his TD Pilot device.   Before the interview, Rachel shares about a family who had a very strong emotional reaction to having their child's voice changed from a child's voice to a teenager's voice, and why we need to include the family and give lots of advance warning if we want to make a change to voice output for maturity purposes.   Key Ideas this Week:  

This week, we share Rachel's interview with Breea Rosas! Breea is a school psychologist who works with educators on how they can implement neurodiversity affirming practices and neurodiversity affirming psychoeducation! Breea shares about the neurodiversity affirming approach and three key areas she works with educators and practitioners to address: 1) What assessments are we choosing; 2) How are we writing assessments; and 3) What are we communicating to the families in meetings?   Before the interview, Chris shares his discomfort with using descriptions that label people as “typical” when the concept of “average” does not really capture the nuances that make up a person and could even be reductive.   Key Ideas this Week:  

This week, Rachel interviews Kelley Coleman, speaker, author, and advocate! Kelley talks about her family's AAC journey and her role as the mother of Aaron, a complex communicator in the 4th grade who uses AAC to communicate. She shares about her new book, Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child, as well as some of the high- and lowlights of her family's AAC journey, including when Aaron's school SLP suggested he go from high-tech AAC to a picture flip book!   Before the interview, Rachel shares about turning a client's questions about her microphone into a naturally occurring communication opportunity about podcasting - that also supported his independence!   Key ideas this week:  

This week, Rachel interviews Heidi Rabe, an SLP who specializes in supporting AAC users with complex bodies who use switches and scanning to communicate! Heidi shares a wealth of information about scanning and switches, including how to evaluate if a student needs a switch, working with PT/OT to find the right switch spot, using partner-assisted scanning, and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel discuss a question from a listener about a student who is “adding random words” (and how the least dangerous assumption is that it's purposeful and meaningful, and we should get to the bottom of it)!   Key ideas this week:  

This week, Chris has a discussion with Caitlin Armstrong, an SLP in New Hampshire who contacted Chris asking about writing up an AAC Initiative proposal for her K-5 school district! Chris breaks down how she should approach the mission statement, ideas for making a more persuasive argument, and things to avoid (e.g. too much research up front).   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel talk about the AI Reading Coach at coach.microsoft.com. It is similar to the Reading Coach that is part of the Immersive Reader tool embedded in Microsoft Word, and allows people to practice reading with someone analyzing their speech in real time!   Key Ideas this week:  

This week, Rachel and Chris continue their discussion about the highlights and takeaways from ATIA 2024! They share some of their favorite presentations and poster sessions from Lauren Enders, Brenda Del Monte, Bruce Alter, Tina & Mateo Moreno, Karanveer Singh, EdTech, and more!   Key Ideas this Week:  

This week, we share Part 1 of Chris and Rachel's recap of their recent trip to ATIA 2024! Chris and Rachel discuss a recent change to ATIA's venue, share resources and takeaways from the conference, talk about what they covered in their own sessions, and more!   Key Ideas this week:  

This week, we share our interview with Mercy Wolverton! Mercy is a student at George Mason University who learned how to use her 3D printer in high school during a senior project seeking to solve real world problems! Mercy shares some of the websites and resources that she used to learn how to print in 3D, and how you can get started as quickly and inexpensively as possible!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel briefly tease takeaways from their time at ATIA, and talk about a recent email from Brian Whitmer about a google form about the state of AAC in 2024.   Key Ideas this Week:  

Trigger Warning: This week's banter includes some descriptions of trauma. If you would prefer to only listen to this week's interview, please skip ahead to 27:19.   This week, Chris interviews Aaron Marsters, an Assistive Technology Instructional Systems Specialist for Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)! Aaron shares about his role supporting the assistive technology needs of students on military bases across Europe, in his case, particularly in Germany. He shares ideas about AI and AAC, ways they collaborate to share implementation across Europe, and how they have adopted the Specific Language System First approach on bases across Europe!   Before the interview, Rachel tells a heartbreaking story about one of her clients who is currently in a child psychiatric ward. Her client is an AAC User, and Rachel shares about how the child has been mistreated despite the family's best efforts to help. Chris and Rachel share their collective worry for Rachel's client and their desire for his treatment to improve.   Key Ideas this Week:  

This week, we share TWT's 300th Episode/1 Million Downloads Celebration! The whole TWT team (Rachel, Chris, Luke Padgett, Michaela Ball, and Monica Halchishick) gathered virtually with some of the coolest people we know (i.e. listeners and previous guests) to chat with us about AAC as we celebrate our our recent 1 millionth download! The TWT team and listeners share memories of making the podcast, stories of how the podcast has influenced their life, favorite strategies, possible future episode topics, and more!

This week, we hear Chris's interview with Meredith Hankins, Morgan Payne, and Susan Lee!  Morgan is the mother of an 11 year old girl, Sophie, with Cerebral Palsy who uses AAC. Susan has a daughter, Alyssa, with Rett Syndrome who also uses AAC. Meredith is an AAC Specialist with United Ability in Alabama who works with their daughters and helped to bring them together in new ways! These three share about how the idea for a “Girl Talk” group came up organically in community-based therapy and eventually grew to become a weekend camp at Dolphin Island Sea Lab organized by Susan!   Before the interview, Rachel and Chris answer a Patreon user's question about creating a “best buddies” club for general education and special education peers at a high school site! They discuss the importance of setting up an authentic peer interaction, ideas for fun activities that all the students can enjoy, making the project student led, and more!   Key Ideas this week:  

Kim Zajac is an SLP and audiologist is a Communication Specialist in Norton Public Schools in Massachusetts, working with grades 6-12. Kim is also an associated professor at Emerson and is a member of the board of MassCUE, the Massachusetts chapter of ISTE. Kim shares some of her strategies for making teaching and therapy sessions more inclusive, interactive, and engaging for all students!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel discuss some takeaways from ASHA 2023, including increased discussions about  MTSS in school districts. Rachel shares about a session by Tiffanie Joseph (nigh.functioning.autism) that was a highlight, as well as some of her takeaways from that session!   Key ideas this week:  

This week, Chris interviews Emma Fischer, a special education teacher in Culpepper County, Virginia who supports students in an adapted curriculum program. She enjoys supporting her student's use of robust AAC, and she wanted to ask Chris about next steps in moving to a career in assistive technology, including possible Master's Degree options and possible job roles!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel share an incredible Q&A session with a special guest who has a lot to say about on putting together a good presentation on coaching and AAC!   Key Ideas This Week: