Talking With Tech AAC Podcast

Amanda Diekman: Lowering Parental Demands to Increase Connection and Calm

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!

Brianna Hughes & Tiffany Rezvani: Creating a Free AAC Screening Tool

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!

Marnina Ellis & Marisa Portanova: Empowering Communication & Collaboration at Blythedale Children's Hospital

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!

Amy Mayer, Judy Schoonover, Remi Moran, & Tiffany Zaugg: Small Talks VIII

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/ 

Carole Zangari, Tabi Jones-Wohleber, Rachel Langley, & Michaela Ball: The "Stepping Into AAC" Project

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/
 
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!

Recast: Rachel Dorsey: Taking a Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach to Therapy

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: 
🔑 A “neurodiversty affirming approach to Autism” involves respecting everyones differences and seeing people through their strengths and not just their deficits. It Includes listening to people from that community to learn from them how to improve your affirming practices.  
🔑 What can we do to help shift people’s perspective to better support neurodiversity? Rachel Dorsey says help these people to ask “why”. Why is this happening? Why are they being disruptive? Why did they go from not being able to do a skill to doing it? Is it environment? Then, shift what you do next time in response to what you learn.  
🔑 "Co-regulating" can happen in therapy when both therapist and the student (or client) help each other regulate. This will look different for different people. Does the Autistic person like to be left alone to do their own thing? Do they enjoy physical presence, or do they want space? Co-regulation helps to build trust and rapport and may help improve progress in therapy down the road.  
 
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!

Recast: Rebecca Moles: Preventing Abuse and Neglect With AAC

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:
 
🔑 There are several ways to identify signs of physical abuse, including the presence of bruises in unusual places on a child's body or bruises that resemble objects. Dr. Moles also discusses how the age and mobility of the child can help distinguish between normal childhood bruises and bruises that might indicate abuse.
 
🔑 Dr. Moles explains the concept of mandated reporting, which requires professionals working with children (such as teachers, medical providers, and coaches) to report any suspicions of child abuse or neglect to state agencies. She stresses that mandated reporters do not need to be certain of the abuse, they only to have a reasonable concern.
 
🔑 It is important that children be able to communicate effectively about abuse, especially children with complex communication needs who use AAC devices. Rebecca emphasizes the need for AAC users to have access to words for all body parts, feelings, and basic actions to support the accurate reporting of abuse and neglect.
 
Links:
 
Crimes Against Persons with Disabilities Report: bit.ly/abusestatistics2014
 
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!

Recast: Talking with Tech Roundtable: Early Intervention & AAC

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:
 
🔑 Rachel, Chris, and Lucas emphasized that introducing AAC early in a child's development does not hinder speech development, but rather supports and facilitates it. They advocate for starting AAC interventions as early as possible, even for very young children, to aid in their communication and language development.
 
🔑 Peers are a great option for modeling AAC. Involving peers, parents, paraprofessionals, and teachers provides lots of modeling opportunities, which helps integrate AAC into every interaction and makes it a more natural part of the child's communication.
 
🔑 The importance of multimodal communication is highlighted, where different methods such as signs, pictures, and high-tech AAC devices are used simultaneously to support both expressive and receptive language development. This approach ensures that children have multiple avenues to communicate their needs and wants
 
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!

Recast: Kathy Howery: Understanding the Lived Experiences of AAC Users

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:
 
🔑 It’s not just about knowing how AAC devices work cognitively or intellectually - we need to do everything we can to understand what it feels like to use these devices and how they impact social interactions.
 
🔑 Kathy highlights the importance of developing empathetic practices, including challenging our preconceptions and being open to AAC users' personal experiences and perspectives. The aim is to foster a more compassionate and understanding approach when interacting with AAC users.
 
🔑 AAC users often use multiple modalities to communicate, including gestures, facial expressions, and body language, just like non-AAC users do. She also notes that an AAC user’s delay in responding can affect some interactions, and she stresses the importance of providing AAC users with various means of communication to ensure they are perceived as capable and intelligent.
 
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!
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Caroline Woeber: Supporting AAC Users with Angelman Syndrome

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:
 
🔑Are we preparing students how to handle it when their preferred method of communication isn’t understood out in the community? If a student doesn’t want to use their AAC device unless there are communication breakdowns, you may want to role play dealing with intelligibility breakdowns and how to deal with that.
 
🔑People with Angelman syndrome often have problems with tremor, so be very thoughtful about things they may need, like keyguards. Some people with Angelman syndrome want to rip the keyguard off, so consider a fixed keyguard instead of magnetic or hinged keyguards.
 
🔑The Talking With Technology Camp (no connection with the TWT podcast) is an independent camp for AAC Users run by Children’s Hospital of Colorado and Easterseals for AAC users aged 6-21. It is an independent camp, and caregivers do not attend. Activities include inclusive fishing, hiking, swimming, talent shows, and more!
 
Links:
 
Talking with Technology Camp
 
First Steps Camp
 
Children’s Hospital of Colorado Chromosome 15 Disorders Clinic  
 
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!