This week, we interview AAC user, USSAAC Membership Committee member, artist, and TWT superfan Chris Sawka! Chris provides great insights into some of the challenges and victories he has had as a full-time AAC user, how he socializes with other AAC users, playing sports on a paraolympic team, and more!
Before the interview, Chris talks about the ATIA presentation by Kevin Williams, who won the Prentke AAC Distinguished Lecturer award. Chris notes that Kevin said he continues to use multiple AAC tools to communicate depending upon what is right for that moment. Chris and Rachel discuss how the communication “system” for most people today, whether or not they use verbal speech, is made up of a complex web of tools (e.g. text, video, email) that evolve over time.
Key ideas this week:
🔑 Communication partners need to make AAC fun and not give up if the user doesn’t like AAC at first. Talk to them with the device, use it during activities like dinner, and pass the device around to have everyone use it.
🔑 People in public often don’t realize how smart Chris Sawka is. People talk with Chris in a loud voice even though Chris can hear perfectly well, and they talk to him like a child, even though he is an adult.
🔑 Chris Sawka doesn’t like it when people talk to his parents or his aide rather than him directly. Chris wants to reply himself and doesn’t appreciate when people talk about him like he isn’t there.
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Teaching with Tech: Picseepal
Kevin Williams & Lateef McLeod: Black AAC User Perspectives on Racism and Disability
Erik Raj: Apps That Make Learning Language Fun
Chris Ellis: Improving Hearing With the Audio Cardio App
Gemma White: Fostering a Growth Mindset With Core Words
Cara Walton: Action Planning for Anti-Racism and AAC
Brittyn Coleman: How Nutrition Can Affect People with Autism
Brittani Rollen: Author of “Lucas the Lion Loves the Tiny Talker”
Carson Covey: AAC User and Future SLP
Tara Wineinger: Hosting a "Virtual 5k" to Support an AAC Nonprofit
Caitlin Calder: True Confessions of a Parent of an AAC User - Part 2
Teaching with Tech: Double Time Docs
Caitlin Calder: True Confessions of a Parent of an AAC User - Part 1
Teaching with Tech: Smarty Symbols
Mike Hipple, Tami Altschuler, and Sarah Blackstone: USSAAC's Role in Policy Making & Disaster Relief
AAC in the Cloud: AAC & Telepractice
Caroline Musselwhite: Coaching Communication Partners Using Telepractice
An Hour-By-Hour Guide To Implementing AAC At Home
Elena Dukhovny: Current Research on Motor Planning & Paraeducator AAC Coaching
Teaching with Tech - Speech Blubs Speech Therapy App
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