PODCAST · education
Talking With Tech AAC Podcast
by Rachel Madel and Chris Bugaj
How do people with complex communication needs learn to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)? Join speech-language pathologists (SLPs) Rachel and Chris as they answer your questions, discuss relevant research and give you updates on the latest and greatest developments in the field of AAC! Interviews with industry thought-leaders, clinicians, parents, researchers, users, and app developers help you stay up-to-date on the latest devices and apps, best practices for device selection and implementation, ideas for working with communication partners, and more!
Episodes
-
Episode 357: Lesley Sylvan - Multi-tiered Systems of Support for Speech-Language Pathologists
In this episode, Chris talks with Dr. Lesley Sylvan, author of the second edition of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: Implementation Tools for Speech-Language Pathologists in Education. Lesley shares how the book evolved following the pandemic and why the new edition expands its focus on AAC,...
-
Episode 356: The State of the Podcast
Rachel and Chris reconnect to share a candid update on what’s been happening behind the scenes with Talking With Tech including changes to the production team, why episodes have been less frequent, and what listeners can expect moving forward. They also share personal and professional updates,...
-
Episode 355: Building an Inclusive Playground and Community
In this episode, Rachel Madel interviews Jesse and Holly Erickson, parents of Bedford, a young child with Schwartz-Jampel syndrome. They share their journey to diagnosis, what it’s like navigating a rare condition with limited research and few clear answers, and the day-to-day realities families...
-
Episode 354: Brie Norton & Lynsey Phillips: Creating a Culture of Learning Language Using Augmentative/Alternative Communication
Chris talks with Lynsey Phillips and Brie Norton, two AAC leaders in Northwest Arkansas who have built a powerful, practical framework for AAC implementation across settings. They share how their partnership, spanning private practice and public schools, helped move AAC from isolated...
-
Bob Sagoo: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Harchie Sagoo
In this episode, Chris & Rachel talk with Bob Sagoo a longtime assistive technology professional and parent advocate. Bob shares the story of his son Harchie, his path from low-tech communication supports to high-tech eye gaze and the Grid ecosystem. Bob shares how Harchie’s drive for speed,...
-
Britton Payne: Promoting Authentic Autistic Representation in Pop Culture
This episode, Chris & Rachel interview Britton Payne! Britton Payne is an entertainment attorney who has worked with major studios like Nickelodeon and Warner Bros., and he is also the father of an autistic son. He founded The Autism Scene and created the AUSPEC Awards to promote authentic…
more -
Quinn Kelly: Connecting AAC and ASL to Support Deaf & Hard of Hearing Communicators
This week, we share Rachel’s interview with Quinn Kelly! Quinn Kelly is a bilingual speech-language pathologist who specializes in working with children who use both AAC and American Sign Language (ASL). She serves on the AAC committee for the New Jersey Speech and Hearing Association and works...
-
Brian Whitmer: Measuring Progress and Purpose in the AAC Community
This week, we share Chris's interview with Brian Whitmer! Brian is the founder of the AAC app CoughDrop and Open AAC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the AAC field through collaboration, transparency, and open data initiatives. Whitmer discusses his goal of fostering innovation,...
-
Katie Roettele: STEM, AAC, and the Power of "Making" for Inclusion
This week, Chris interviews Katie Roettele! Katie Roettele is an occupational therapist and assistive technology consultant based in Michigan, specializing in AAC and universal design for learning. She is passionate about using STEM and maker tools like Makey Makey and 3D printing to create...
-
Kayla Ireland: Empowering Total Communication
This week, we share Rachel’s interview with Kayla Ireland! Kayla is a podcaster, college student, AAC User, and advocate who lives with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. She amplifies diverse voices through her shows, shares her personal communication journey, and the value of developing multiple…
more -
Claire O'Connor: Exploring AI as a Support for AAC Users
This week, we share Chris’s interview with Claire O’Connor! Claire O’Connor is a speech-language pathologist and first-year PhD student at the University of Maryland. Her research focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and AAC, exploring how tools like ChatGPT can support AAC...
-
Adina Malamut: Collaborating to Support Accessibility Across Disciplines
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...
-
Christina Schmidt: Empowering Families Through Culturally Competent AAC
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...
-
Rachel Madel & Chris Bugaj: ATIA 2025 Recap
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…
more -
Midwestern University Q&A: Interdisciplinary Collaboration, AAC Implementation, & More
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...
-
Saffron Murphy-Mann, Helen Hewson, and Andrea Sharples: Insights from Communication Matters 2024
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…
more -
TWT Live: Vibes of AAC
This week, we present 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...
-
Dr. May Aguis: Breaking Barriers to AAC in Malta
This week, Chris interviews Dr. May Aguis! Dr. Aguis 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…
more -
Sam Brydon: AAC Coaching Strategies for Parents, Teachers, and Staff
This week, we share Chris’s interview with Dr. Sam Brydon! Dr. Sam Brydon is a speech-language pathologist 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...
-
Ceanna MacGregor & Melanie Boyle: Building Connection through AAC Professional Learning Networks
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...
-
Owen McGirr: Software Developer, Advocate, and Adaptive Switch User
This week, Chris interviews Owen McGirr (enaboapps.com), 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...
-
TWT Live: ArkSHA Conference 2024 (Part 2)
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…
more -
TWT Live: ArkSHA Conference 2024 (Part 1)
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...
-
Chris, Melissa, and Maggie Bugaj: "Out of My Mind" Reflections
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…
more -
Kristen Hughes & Amy Kennedy: Building a Collaborative AAC Framework in Schools to Streamline Selection, Support, and Success
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...
-
Exploring AI’s Impact on Storytelling and Learning: A Dive into Notebook LM
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...
-
Anand & Amanda Murthy: Advocacy and Hope in the Face of Infantile Spasms
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…
more -
Jaclyn Lewis & Jessica Gerth: Supporting Communication and Inclusion with Tabletop Gaming
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
Marnina Allis & Marisa Portanova: Empowering Communication & Collaboration at Blythedale Children's Hospital
This week, Chris interviews Marnina Allis 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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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…
more -
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…
more -
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...
-
Benjamin Gibbs: Interviewing Chris Bugaj for a Master's AT Program
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…
more -
Amy Mayer: Engaging Students and Driving Inclusivity with EdTech Tools
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…
more -
Karina Carter & Nicole Young: Teaching Language to AAC Users with Horses
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...
-
Elisa Wern - The Importance of Including OTs During AAC Consideration & Implementation
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...
-
Fairfax County Public Schools AT Team: Celebrating the Life of AAC Specialist Jeff Powers
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...
-
Yoosun Chung: Honoring an AAC User's Chosen Form of Communication
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...
-
Chantelle Hutchinson: Supporting Adult AAC Users with Acquired Brain Injuries
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...
-
Tiffany Joseph (Part 2): The Use of Gestalts in Acquiring Language as a Part-Time AAC User
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...
-
Tiffany Joseph (Part 1): Educating and Supporting AAC Users as a Part-Time AAC User
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…
more -
Bob Sagoo: Empowering an AAC User as a Parent
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...
-
Beth Moulam & Joanna Holmes: Recognizing AAC Users as Multimodal Communicators
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....
-
Daniel O'Connor & Bradley Heaven: Creators of All Access Life, an Adaptive Product Nonprofit
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. Daniel & Bradley share about how they met when Daniel...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
How do people with complex communication needs learn to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)? Join speech-language pathologists (SLPs) Rachel and Chris as they answer your questions, discuss relevant research and give you updates on the latest and greatest developments in the field of AAC! Interviews with industry thought-leaders, clinicians, parents, researchers, users, and app developers help you stay up-to-date on the latest devices and apps, best practices for device selection and implementation, ideas for working with communication partners, and more!
HOSTED BY
Rachel Madel and Chris Bugaj
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Talking With Tech AAC Podcast have?
Talking With Tech AAC Podcast currently has 358 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Talking With Tech AAC Podcast about?
How do people with complex communication needs learn to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)? Join speech-language pathologists (SLPs) Rachel and Chris as they answer your questions, discuss relevant research and give you updates on the latest and greatest developments in the field...
How often does Talking With Tech AAC Podcast release new episodes?
Talking With Tech AAC Podcast publishes regularly with 358 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Talking With Tech AAC Podcast?
You can listen to Talking With Tech AAC Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Talking With Tech AAC Podcast?
Talking With Tech AAC Podcast is created and hosted by Rachel Madel and Chris Bugaj.
URL copied to clipboard!