Talking With Tech AAC Podcast

In this episode Talking with Tech's Rachel Madel interviews Kevin Chaja of Color Black's Moment AR app to discuss brand new app that helps children with autism learn social skills. Also discussed: Clinical applications for augmented reality and the future of AR/VR in education.

Name: Kevin Chaja

Interview Show Notes (timestamps from beginning of interview):

1:30 Explaining what Augmented Reality is

4:00 Describing "Moment AR" app

6:15 Different Modules for a variety of professionals

9:00 Backstory behind the app development

11:45 Potential for Augmented/Virtual reality in education

13:25 Clinical applications for app

16:00 How merge cube promotes engagement

19:00 ASHA convention giveaways/Autism starter pack

21:15 Future updates for app/next level social skills

Erin Compton is a mom to 13 children who blogs about family life, adoption, special needs and AAC learning. As a homeschool instructor she has over 20 years of experience working with young language learners. Through the recent adoption of two sons with cerebral palsy, the family has started on an AAC journey to find voices for their sons.

For more, see Erin's YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook!

Interview Show Notes:

Adopting two sons with cerebral palsy from an orphanage in China

In the beginning of AAC it’s more about educating yourself than educating your child

Spreading the AAC gospel

AAC is a journey and belief that your child is capable is the first step

Erin’s experience homeschooling 13 kids and the disbelief that she’s encountered.

How the comfort of home is typically the first place you see communication happens

Making modeling a whole family experience

The power of peer modeling

The first time Erin heard the word “mama”

The importance of SLPs working together with parents

International perceptions of special needs children and the high incidence of abandonment

Karma and how it plays into special needs perceptions in China

Experience of touring a Chinese orphanage with 700 children

It's time for what might be our most controversial show yet! If you have an opinion - for or against - please comment below or email at us at [email protected] and we'll be happy to address your concerns next episode!

Problem:

Interview Show Notes:

• Erek introduces himself

Potential Solutions:

Have discussions about implementing this approach.

Beyond word of the week programs, use a language-based curriculum (materials where language is the object of the lesson, not infused into some other point of the lesson. Ie, Use apples on a tree to teach prepositions NOT do a lesson on apples where we try to also sneak in spatial concept words)

Kathy Howery joins Chris Bugaj to discuss her research on the lived experience of AAC users. Afterward, the team comes back together to talk about the importance of human identity - and humor - in language use.

Thanks for listening! As always, contact us at [email protected] with any feedback and make sure to subscribe and share with your friends! If you'd like to support our work, we always appreciate any gesture via Patreon.

Karen Owens of We Speak PODD joins Rachel Madel for a conversation about parenting children with complex communication disorders. Meanwhile, the group discusses the nature of parents' relationships with both the schools and broader therapeutic systems and how they - and we - can be strong advocates for their children.

Thanks for listening! As always, contact us at [email protected] with any feedback and make sure to subscribe and share with your friends! If you'd like to support our work, we always appreciate any gesture via Patreon.

Alex Pavtoulov and Ofir Harel of Olà Mundo join Rachel and Lucas to talk about Socky, a symbol-based two-way communication system for children with Autism as well as their parents and circle of support. The group also discusses social reciprocity in ASD and how to make therapy tools engaging.

For more information about Olà Mundo and Socky, visit their site  and try out the app, which is available on both iOS and Android - and it's free!

Thanks for listening! As always, contact us at [email protected] with any feedback and make sure to subscribe and share with your friends! If you'd like to support our work, we always appreciate any gesture via Patreon.

In this episode Talking with Tech's Lucas Steuber, Rachel Madel, and the long-list Chris Bugaj sit down and discuss international development in AAC before welcoming Chris Gibbons of SmartBox to the show. Chris shares beautifully about his many years of experience in the industry, the transition from intervention to the lab to the market, changes over time to the funding model - both good and bad - as well as Grid 3 and some thoughts on what's to come.

For more information about Chris and SmartBox, be sure to visit their site and - if you get a chance - catch him presenting at many related conferences such as ASHA, ATIA, ISAAC, and pretty much everywhere else.

Thanks for listening! As always, contact us at [email protected] with any feedback and make sure to subscribe and share with your friends! If you'd like to support our work, we always appreciate any gesture via Patreon.

*Disclosure, Lucas Steuber and Chris Gibbons have worked together before on minor projects through their shared venture GiveLanguage, but neither party received financial compensation.