AAC Spotlight is a series of interviews. Reading about other people who are interested in AAC (augmentative-alternative communication) can help us connect with each other and share experiences and concerns. NWACS will occasionally interview people to help all of us learn more about each other and AAC.
By Kelly Kuehl, MA, CCC-SLP; NWACS Board Member
reading time: 4 minutes
The views expressed in this post are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of NWACS. No endorsement by NWACS is implied regarding any device, manufacturer, resource, or strategy mentioned.
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Christopher Bugaj, MA, CCC-SLP. Chris is located in Virginia. He is internationally known as an:
educational experience designer
inclusive design facilitator
SLP
author
presenter
Christopher Bugaj and Rachel Madel will be co-hosting this year’s NWACS Virtual Fall Conference on October 15. Register here!
How Chris met Rachel
It’s an interesting story. Chris and Rachel didn’t know each other until they did the Talking With Tech podcast together. A somewhat famous person in the AAC world, Lucas Steuber, reached out to Chris with an idea of doing a podcast related to AAC. He knew that Chris had experience with podcasting as he was already doing the A.T.TIPSCAST podcast. Lucas met Rachel through social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram. He understood that she was into technology so, he connected the two. Chris shared that he and Rachel formed a friendship virtually. Finally, after two years of not meeting face-to-face, the stars aligned and they were in the same area. So, they got together for nachos one day. Chris and Rachel have been doing the Talking with Tech podcast for over five years. They also co-present workshops at virtual and in-person conferences.
What sparked Chris’ interest in AT and AAC
Christopher Bugaj, MA, CCC-SLP
Chris began his career in the public school system in 1999. During his first year out of graduate school, he was placed in an elementary school that had an autism program. Here he worked with students who used one-hit speech output devices and static communication systems. Chris quickly developed a reputation for being a tech guru. His colleagues were impressed with his ability to successfully create a schedule using a spreadsheet (it was a big deal back in the early 2000s). Chris was motivated to use technology as a tool to teach his students. During Chris’ fourth year with the district, an official AT team was established and he became the designated SLP.
What sparked his interest in AAC is a different story. The very first AT evaluation that Chris was a part of, in 2002-2003, was with a young, elementary-aged learner who was nonspeaking. At the time, he recommended a basic AT system. Ten years later, Chris went to deliver equipment to the high school and saw the student’s name on the list. He learned that she was still using the same basic system that he recommended ten years before. She was limited to communicate yes/no with this system. This realization led him to wonder how many AAC users out there in the world are able to say whatever they want to say whenever they want to say it.
The greatest challenge for users of AAC is…
Hands down the number one greatest challenge for individuals learning to use AAC is the mindset of those who teach them. Chris passionately expressed that your support network needs to believe you can overcome that barrier of learning a different way to communicate. Chris expanded to state that communication partners spend a lot of time working to develop the right mindset. Once they have it, AAC users thrive. Another challenge is the turnover rate for support personnel that:
believe in the AAC user
model language using AAC
teach AAC users language
It can also be particularly difficult for a student if they transition to a different school or program and the team doesn’t know the communication device/system. Chris suggested that we, as professionals, need to brainstorm how to build an entire culture around AAC so we can create a support network for folks who use AAC. This is of upmost importance.
What he loves about his job
Chris loves learning new things and loves the idea that technology can transform our educational practices. In the early days that he was in the field, there wasn’t a way that people could express what they knew or teachers were limited with how they could teach content. Now, you can:
take a multiple choice test
write an essay
tell what you know
make a presentation
make a video
create a podcast
use 3D simulation
3D print something
use coding to make something new
Seeing new technologies and making the connection with educators to design their instruction around the options we have with technology is so much more enjoyable. He loves to focus more on the learning and making it fun so that we can make education work best for our students. Chris shared that using technology is invigorating for him. He also enjoys hearing feedback about his suggestions and how much people enjoy using the tools he offers. Chris is a firm believer that technology:
can be used to meet everyone’s needs
is more fun
is practical
A great example of making things fun is using robots to teach language to show people block coding and what a robot is (not as complex as R2D2). Check out Chris’ You Tube channel for recorded presentations and how he has fun with robots. See Coding For Core: Teaching Language With Block Coding & Robots!
What are 3 words that you use to describe your passion project?
Practical – It’s important to stay current with AAC skills to implement and teach
Enjoyable/fun – We must reimagine what school is like
Inclusive – The heart of everything I do is thinking about how everyone can be included and not have a separate experience. It helps shift the mindset with where we want education to be.
What is your super talent?
Creating analogies and making professional learning interactive so it’s not just sit and listen to somebody talk.
Tying things to people’s background knowledge.
Would hope that is his reputation is that he wants attendees to have fun and get to practice tools to use in an enjoyable way.
You can find his online platforms here:
Thank you Christopher for participating in our AAC Spotlight series! We look forward to spending the day with you at NWACS2022.
Please join us on October 15, 2022, for the 2022 NWACS Virtual Fall Conference featuring Rachel Madel and Chris Bugaj! They are presenting “Designing and Delivering Empowering Experiences to Teach Language Using AAC”! For more information, or to register, visit the conference webpage.
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