Orientation: Finding your Peeps

One of the most important things I have ever done was to find MY PEOPLE.  You know, the ones who get me.  The way I sing everything, all of the time, much to their chagrin.  My introverted nature.  My longshoreman mouth.  My sarcastic humor.  Because these people have been my rock of stability during the storms that happen during the school year.

So how does one locate a peep?
1.  Put on a "Hi My Name Is" and replace your name with Inigo Montoyo or Slim Shady
2.  Look for people who get the joke.
3.  Smile, because they are probably your peep

Ok, Ok.  This may not work in all situations and with all types of personalities.  But finding common ground with at least one person in your work environment during orientation can help set the mood for the year.  I personally am not an icebreaker person but the concept makes sense; force the group to split and speak to one another outside the normal clique.  Forced connections.  Meh.  I like to connect organically when I have the time and energy to pop into rooms and speak in a less chaotic environment.  Or maybe for the first few weeks, try to eat lunch in the staff lounge.

Often, I find that therapeeps (OT, PT, and Speech) will sit together because we typically understand each other's backgrounds.  We are healthcare providers who happen to be in the education setting.  We are using our super powers to help children access their school lives.  But that doesn't mean we cannot look beyond our scope of practice for connection.

Branch out.  Find a teacher of visual impairment, or teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing, or social worker, or special educator, or regular educator, or secretary, or teaching assistant, or nursing assistant.   In fact, FIND ALL OF THESE PEOPLE because you will need their expertise to get through your school year.  There will be questions, and these people may have the answer.  It is vital to daily survival to identify with whom you can connect and consult.

Will they necessarily be the people to which I vent and shed a tear? Probably not.  That is only reserved for the sacred circle of peeps.   But these individuals will collectively help you navigate the school year.  And maybe, just maybe you'll find a peep or two that make going to work a little more sugar-coated.

AT in the Classroom: Supporting Communication for Students with Complex Needs with Switch Access

If you work with children with complex medical backgrounds, then you know supporting communication needs can be daunting at times.  Cognition, vision, hearing, musculature and more can impact the way in which the child is trying to communicate.  Switch access can be a viable option to increase communication, but it takes a team to make it work.

Position, Position, Position
It is always a priority to address positioning for children with significant physical challenges when assessing communication needs for a multitude of reasons.  First, breathing.  If a child's posture is not in best alignment, with or without support, lung capacity is going to be diminished.  It will be more difficult to produce sounds without proper air supply.  Second, if tone, strength or coordination is an issue, it will be difficult to assess an access point for alternative means of communicating.  The old therapeutic statement "Proximal stability before distal mobility" is just as important to communication as it is to ambulation.   Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists are both educated in positioning.  Sometimes it takes just a few modifications such as a changing to a chair with arm rests or making foot rest adjustments to improve alignment.  Other times, it is more complicated.

There are a variety of seating and standing systems available on the market like Special Tomato Seats, Leckey, or Rifton Seats, but low cost accommodations can be created with many things that can found at the dollar store, like pool noodles to use as bolsters.  But if you are not sure, refer.  Talk with the parent and determine if the child is followed by anyone already for wheelchairs, strollers and other seating systems.  If they are, you may want to consider requesting permission to speak with outside providers to voice concerns or recommendations.

Once a child is successfully positioned in a functional system, then you can look at the switch based options available in specialty markets and even on Amazon.

Switching it Up
Switches can be a good option for children with a combination of physical and cognitive needs.  They come in a variety of styles, shapes, contours, sizes and sensitivities to fit the unique strengths of a student.  Many styles can be easily plugged into a variety of Cause and Effect toys allow children interact with intent and independence.  Others provide alternative and augmentative communication options to generate single or multiple recordable messages.  Single speech generating switches like the BigMack and multiple message generators like the Step by Step, provide a vocal outlet for requests and comments.

The selection available toys are on the market has left much to be desired, which is why battery device switch adapters, like those found on Enablemart, make battery operated toys available to those with limited mobility.  The copper disk insert has an attached outlet to plug in a standard switch.  Sometime you do have to hack the battery cover to make sure everything fits but now the child has access to turn a toy on and off.  Getting a child to understand and use cause and effect is a powerful tool towards communication.

iPad and Switch Access
There are now Bluetooth Switch Interfaces for the iPad.  I have had good luck with the Pretorian APPlicator.  It provides 4 channels, each with a multitudes of modes.  But just because you have a interface AND a switch, doesn't mean you will be able to use it.  Not all apps are switch accessible.  However, developers are becoming more and more aware of complex needs.  Some of my favorites are from Inclusive Tech.  Also, some augmentative alternative communication apps are more accessible, like Go Talk Now.

Mounting Systems
Now that you have an iPad with usable apps, how do you make sure the child has access to it?  Well, there are a variety of mounting systems.  If the child will be primarily in a wheelchair, Mount'N Movers offers systems and support to walk through the assessment.  What I really liked about them was their adjustability.  Some set ups have swing arm action which comes in handy when a child needs to be transferred.  Other options like AbleNet's Goose Neck Mount and Friction Knob Mounts offer different levels of stability and flexibility, and the cost is much less in comparison to the Mount'N Mover.  Loc Line, a modular hose system originally made for piping needs, created non-traditional, but awesome, do-it-yourself mounting kits too.

Looking at the child's strengths and needs from all angles takes many sets of eyes.  Working as a team to best support the student with complex communication needs is the key.  It ensures all areas of  facilitating communication are addressed.  If you are not sure, refer.  Once you have exhausted your expertise and techniques, follow your district's protocol to request for an Assistive Technology Evaluation.  They may be able to provide insight to strategies and tools available to help enable your student to speak what's on their mind.

For More information about Supporting Communication, check out the amazing insights of more therapy bloggers by clicking on the listing below....

AT in the Classroom: SETTing the Example for using Assistive Technology

Sometimes I take for granted what I have learned about assistive technology, so let me start out by sharing and defining it before diving into examples...

Assistive Technology (AT) is defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability. It does not include medical devices that are implanted, such as cochlear implants.

As part of every Indvidualized Education Plan (IEP), Assistive Technology should be "considered" as part as the child's ability to have access to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

With all that in mind, in this alphabet soup of educational acronyms, how can parents, educators, and therapists search, select, and support children with complex needs?

Using the SETT Model, as developed by Joy Zabala who is a leader in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) concepts, it is recommended to look at four components: Student, Environment, Task and Tool.  First, you look at the Student: what are their strengths, needs, and motivating factors.  Then, look at the Envirnoment: where is the student going to be completing the task?  Third, name the Task: what does the student need to do or learn? Last is the Tools: how is this child going to access the task at hand, as independently as possible?

When I am working with students, I collaborate constantly with a group of amazing therapists and educators.  We try to look at all options from no tech to high tech. You don't want to jump to the iPad with ProLoQuo2Go if it's not going to work to the child's strengths and meet their needs.  Let me give you a few examples:

Example: 

The Student: A preschool student with significant physical and cognitive disabilities. S/he is able to reach, grab and release with both hands.  S/he is motivated by sensory exploration, food and music.  

The Environment: Student will be completing tasks in the OT room, the classroom, and academic specials like gym, art, and music.  

The Task: develop a means of communicating needs and wants.   

The Tools: 
No Tech: Incorporating the use of gestures, eye contact and vocalizations into activities

Low Tech Option- pictures, like Boardmaker, SymbolStix, or downloaded pictures from the internet.  

Mid Tech Option- voice output single switch with a picture indicating what it says or a swtich activated toy (available through specialty vendors such as Enable Mart  or Able Net or potentially Amazon).

High Tech Option- iPad with Cause and Effect music based play apps such as Inclusive Tech, with a switch and Blue tooth switch interface for the iPad such as the Pretorian APPlicator

During therapy sessions, I use them all.  The combination of all approaches supports intent, initiation, persistence, and communication needs through motivating play. This student must request a turn using a picture exchange to then activate the cause and effect switch based toy/app, indicate more wanted time on the swing, or use of the rice box.  Notice, I haven't attempted to start an alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) app.  S/he is not ready for it yet.  Maybe in the future, maybe not.  

Example 2.

The Student: Student with significant physical mobility challenges. S/he is very bright but has difficult time keeping up with his/her peers during class activities. S/he can type on average at the same speed his peers write; s/he can write single letters and numbers recognizably but large.

The Environment: regular education setting

The Task: S/he needs to be able to complete math, reading, and writing worksheets independently.

The Tools: 
No Tech: scribing, however this involves an adult or peer to do the work, and the student is dysarthric. Reliability of answers should be considered.

Low Tech: Use a Slant board, built up pencil, and strategic positioning (and repositioning) of materials

Mid Tech:Lap top already available in the classroom with shortcut to a word processing application and a printer

High Tech: iPad with a PDF translation app that takes a photo, turns it into a PDF on which the student can type or draw on, access to email and/or printer

The student uses a combination of all four, again. Now that the student has access to the tech, the need for the scribing is lessened.   Sometimes the child wants to write. So with strategic positioning and his built up pencil, s/he can fill in the blank or draw the lines. But when the writing is more than a few letters or numbers, he can complete his work on either the iPad or the computer.  Is it perfect? Is it up to UDL? No, because in theory, the means of his expressing his knowledge wasn't explored before creating the lesson.  But does it work and give him improved access right now?  Yes.  

Example 3.
The Student: Elementary student with decreased strength and endurance to upper extremities and absent lower body sesnsation.  Also wears glasses.  Enjoys reading and music, but has a hard time comprehending and expressing what she knows.  S/he hunts and pecks on the keyboard.
The Environment: The inclusion classroom
The Task: Reading assignments, comprehension
The Tools:
No Tech: Provide modified educational materials like multiple choice questions
Low Tech: Highlighting strips to visually narrow the area the student needs to which s/he needs to attend. Access to read-aloud accommodations on the ePublished version of the reading program
Mid Tech: Access to laptop with a text to speech app/extension (Read and Write for Google, Readability, etc)
High Tech: iPad with PDF translation app to enlarge the print on the screen and limit visual clutter.  If student has a print disability, may qualify for Bookshare account and could use Voice Dream app on the iPad as well.

Combination of all four.

Notice the trend?  There is no end-all, be-all answer to access needs because depending on the strengths, needs, environment, and task, the tools required will be different.  And it is always a work in progress as the demands of the schoolwork change.  The important thing to take out of this is that you need to ask the right WH questions.  Who? Where? What? and How? Because if you don't know the answer, you can consult with your team or request an Assistive Technology Evaluation from your local AT group, in accordance with your district policies and procedures.  If you're not sure, refer!  

If you want to learn more about SETT, UDL, CAST, AIM, or any of the other Assistive Technology acronyms, there are amazing free and at cost webinars available on-line through AbleNet University, CDT Institute, and AOTA .  And don't forget to make friends with your local AT program!  They can be an amazing resource.

'Appy Hour Review: Mod Math

Gotta love social media for the free, fun, and functional finds.  I came across ModMath via Twitter and immediately downloaded it for my iPad to try it out.  This app may be a game changer for children who have difficulty writing and organizing basic math problems.

Available only on iPad, ModMath was created by a family whose son has dysgraphia and dyslexia.  He was struggling to his represent his math work on paper.  Now they are sharing their app for free on iTunes.

ModMath is fairly customizable.  You have the option to change the contrast, color of number font, and provide alternative row/column contrast.

When you open a new page, you are presented with a graph paper style grid.  Once you tap on a space, a number and symbol keyboard will appear.  But don't be fooled.  This is NOT a calculator.  It only provides the user with a means to clearly type numerals and symbols.

It took only a few tries to get how to use it.  For example, if you have to do long division, you first have to touch the paper, select the long division symbol, then touch the grid again where you want your numbers to create your equation, continuing this process as you solve the problem.

 As for carrying and cross outs, they have that covered too; they also included fractions.

The lines that differentiate between steps appear automatically if you place them in the box just prior to the number that you want to add, subtract, multiply or divide.

What I really like about this app is that you can see the work, the process, as well as the result, without it automatically giving the student the answer.  The ability to visually organize the numbers in clear columns and rows is a skill with which so many children struggle.  Bonus feature, the student can email the teacher, parent, tutor his/her work, or himself in case he wanted to print out a copy.  Just select how you would like to send it and it will create a PDF of each work session.  When the recipient receives the PDF file, it comes without grid lines.

A few things options I hope they consider in the next update: 1. to a direct print option and 2. the ability to type name and date at the top of the paper. (You can name the session/file).

ModMath creators are currently working on a KickStarter Campaign for an algebra version of this product too.  If you want to discover more about ModMath or its campaign, check out www.Modmath.com.

Adventures in Assistive Technology: Adapting the Power Wheels

I had been dying to do this project for over a year, since I had first heard about the Go Baby Go through the University of Delaware.  It was an AH HA moment.  I could totally do that. Adapting a powered toy car so my kiddos could have access to play with their peers as well as build other skills such as switch use, or head and trunk strength, or language, upper extremity strength... you name it, I could justify it.  It is my magic, as an OT, ya know to justify ANYTHING!

So a few weeks ago I finally resparked the flame of innovation and started asking for donations of used power toys.  And to my joy, my nieces and nephews donated their John Deer truck because they weren't using it anymore and they wanted to help my kids.  There I was, John Deer in hand. Now to get the rest of the supplies.

Ratcheting PVC cutter
Cuts through pipe like buttah'

Switch. Check.  (ablenet.com)
PVC piping. Check.  (local neighborhood hardware store)
Nuts and Bolts. Check.  (local neighborhood hardware store)
Kill Switch. Check.  (amazon.com)
A husband to help me rewire. Check.

Once my Mr. Fix-It helped to rewire and solder the gas pedal to the switch, I got my Ratcheting PVC cutters out.  These are a necessary tool if you work with PVC.  Worth every penny.  I also got to steal Mr. Fix-Its Dremel tool and new Milwaukee Power Drill to perforate the holes in the piping and the truck to install the support frame.

Finishing touches included good ole pipe insulation,  duct tape to provide a softer support to the bracing, and industrial Velcro for a lap belt and shoulder support.  And voila, Pimp My Ride: John Deer Power Wheels edition was complete.

My son testing it out

When I envisioned the outcome, I primarily had my students with significant physical disabilities in mind, but the benefits of the project spread beyond that group.  Students with autism found it quite intriguing and motivating.  Those that were non-verbal, vocalized and expressed words such as "Cool!" "Go!" "4 by 4" and "Deer".  It gave others a chance for parallel play and structured communicative play by incorporating voice out put switches with phrases like "Do you want to go for a ride with me?" and "GO!"  Driving also encouraged bilateral hand use and intrinsic hand strengthening, as the children have to use push the switch while holding the steering wheel as they drive.  For my more involved students, I steer while they activate the switch.


Though not 100% complete, I still need to set a secondary switch for a right cheek activation site, this project is well on its way to fulfilling its purpose: increasing participation amongst children with multiple disabilities during free time play.  I actually wish that I had considered completing a research study on its effects on social participation.  Maybe next year....

Overall, I would consider this an advanced project due to the nature of adaptation and tools needed.  If I didn't have my husband's support, I don't think it would have made it out of my basement.  Also, there are a significant amount of obstacles.  First, logistics.  The size of the vehicle is big.  It's a two-seater.  And even though we removed the dump bed from the truck, it is still large to store (ask my co workers).  So if you are considering doing a project like this, you need to examine your storage capacity.  You also have to respect administration for your building.  I am lucky to work with educators and facility managers that don't mind my therapeutic antics.  Second, cost.  Though the power wheels was donated, I purchased most of the materials.  PVC is cheap; foam insulation is cheap; switches can be costly.  I completed this for under $50 but I had a lot of materials and tools already.  Third, overall understanding of positioning and access sites.  Position of the body is key to accessing life, including switches.  If a child is not supported appropriately and safely, the participation in motorized play will not be successful.

Sea Choice Universal Kill Switch
Available through amazon.com

So if you are interested in researching a project like this, check out Cole Galloway and his team at the University of Delaware.  I downloaded their instructions, and then modified it to fit my needs.  For example, the kill switch they used is a single throw switch; my Mr. Fix It recommended the coil based like ones used on boats. Since it attaches to me while the children are driving, I don't have to worry about them driving off.  Go Baby Go project developers recently published new directions which are clearer and more organized.  And if you want to help me make another adapted car, you can visit my Donor's Choose site.

Special Thanks to Maddie and Patrick for donating their toy! Without it, my students would not be having nearly as much fun!

OTMommy spOTlight on: Wade Wingler, Turning the Table on the Host of Assistive Technology Update

When I finally decided to work on my ATP (assistive technology professional) certification, I had already begun listening to Wade Wingler, at the INDATA Project, host of The Assistive Technology Update to get my "weekly dose of the latest information to keep (me) up to date in the ever changing field of assistive technology". I had even reached out to him for some advice at various points in time, because who better to guide me in the right direction than an established ATP. Fast forward 2 years, and nearly 200 episodes later, I wanted to turn the interview table on Wade and celebrate his upcoming 200th episode.

Thanks Wade for participating in this little interview for my blog.  I really just wanted to be able to give a shout out to you and your program since it was (and still is) the way I keep informed on current trends in the field, helping me provide the best service to my students, as well as fostering my passion for Assistive Technology!  

Your formal background is in sociology.  How did you find yourself working in the field of Assistive Technology, and at the INDATA project?

At the time I started working for Easter Seals Crossroads, I was preparing to go to graduate school for a masters degree in social work.  Frankly, I wasn’t accepted to grad school the first time around and needed a job!  Because I wanted to be a social worker and I had been writing computer software since I was 8 years old, a job that worked with people with disabilities and their technology needs seemed to be a decent way to spend one year while I was waiting to get into graduate school.  That one year detour turned into almost 22 years of the greatest career I could have ever asked for.

What inspired the idea of starting Assistive Technology Update?

A few years ago, our program experienced some significant funding cuts in the midst of political wrangling.  One of the parts of our program that was cut was our annual assistive technology conference.  I wanted to create something that would give people in Indiana a glimpse into the AT conference experience in a more affordable way.  The format of Assistive Technology Update is designed to capture a snippet of a conference experience, on a weekly basis, in a half-hour show.  We feature news stories and app reviews which are similar to visiting an expo hall at a conference.  We also include interviews with thought leaders in the field of AT, which is a little bit like attending an educational session at an AT conference.  Secondarily, I always wanted to be a radio personality when I was a kid and this project has let me scratch that itch.

Flashing back to October 28, 2011, the date of the first-released podcast,  did you ever think it would reach as far and wide as it has, for as long as it has?

No.  I honestly didn’t think it would grow as much as it has.  Because it was originally intended to replace a portion of the AT conference in Indiana, I hadn’t imagined the show growing to serve a worldwide audience.  We now have listeners in over 150 countries and I hear from people from almost every part of the globe.  I also didn’t expect the show to go from a very cheesy, three minute show to something more professionally produced and comprehensive in format.  

Of your nearly 200 episodes, which was your favorite interview and why?

Funny you ask.  On March 27, 2015 we will release episode 200 of Assistive Technology Update and, during that interview, I am asked that very question by radio personality, and our guest host, Danny Wayne.  I don’t have a single favorite episode, but we will play excerpts from three episodes that were particularly memorable.  The first is an interview with John Williams, the man who coined the term “assistive technology.”  The second was with a group of AT pioneers from Mongolia in which we talk about how their work has been helpful in getting the most basic AT in the hands of people in that country.  The last was a two-part interview with Bob Heil, the only non-musician ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Bob has a passion for sound, electronics, and helping kids with disabilities to be HAM radio operators.  Bob also has been the “sound guy” for musical legends like Joe Walsh, The Eagles, Carrie Underwood, and Stevie Wonder.

Tell me about the new AT Q&A Podcast.

We are about to record the very first episode of that show.  It’s been created in response to the wide variety of AT questions that we get here at Easter Seals Crossroads on an almost daily basis.  I was recently in a staff meeting when some of our senior AT specialists were kicking a question around and I found myself enchanted with the conversation.  It occurred to me that there might be people who would like to be a fly on the wall when some really smart AT professionals were talking about these kinds of questions an answers.  From that conversation, the idea for the show was born.

The host of the show is Brian Norton, manager of clinical assistive technology.  Regular panelists will include Mark Stewart who is the team lead of our cognitive/mobility team and Belva Smith who leads our vision/sensory team.  We also plan to have a fourth chair on a regular basis in which we will have various subject matter experts lend their perspective as well.

The show will be released twice a month and can be found on iTunes, Stitcher, or on the web at www.ATFAQshow.com

Now it’s your turn to answer: Tell me your favorite story about a AT….

Just one?  I can’t limit it to just one.  I’ll give you a couple:

I have amazing experiences each summer at a camp that we host for non-verbal kids.  We call it gadget camp and it’s amazing to see a group of young people, all augmentative communication users, interact with each other, go fishing, have water balloon fights, and make friends.

Not long ago I met an older, recently retired college professor who was losing his vision and had decided that he no longer offered value to the world.  He hadn’t wanted to retire and was clearly distraught that he wasn’t able to work in the same ways he had in the past.  As someone who teaches AT at the college level, I was immediately able to relate to him as an instructor and was also able to point him to resources that were able to help him go back to work and regain his confidence.  But, during that conversation, I specifically remember the moment when he exhaled, rather loudly, and said “Wow.  Maybe I’m not washed up after all.  Perhaps I could at least do something instead of sitting at home in front of the television wishing I could see what is on the screen.”  Moments like those make it worthwhile.

With technology changing exponentially, where do you see the field of AT in 5 years?

Based on my predictions, which mirrors what most of the guests on my show tell me, I think we will see much more mobile, much more integrated assistive technologies available at much lower costs.  I’ve seen that trajectory in my career and expect it to continue.  I also expect to continue to see more universal design and main stream technologies created with accessibility built-in.  The lines between what is considered assistive and mainstream will continue to converge and blur.  

From automatic coffee pots to smart phones, to GPS technology, to iPads, we live in a world in which each of us takes technology for granted every single day.  It is my hope that people with disaibliites will also be able to take technology for granted because it’s created in a way that is accessible to everyone.

And if anyone would like to reach out to you or the INDATA project, what would be the best way to contact you?

Email: wwingler@eastersealscrossroads.org

Twitter: @INDATAProject

Facebook: www.EasterSealsTech.com/facebook

Make sure to check out and subscribe to Assistive Technology Update as well as ATFAQ though iTunes to get your fix of new and upcoming technology information. You can also get great tips on tons of different devices from Easter Seals Tech Team when you check out their You Tube Channel. And if you have a question about assistive technology, you can tweet it along with the hashtag #ATFAQ, and maybe it will be answered on the the new podcast.

Congratulations Wade and the rest of the team at Easter Seals Crossroads and the INDATA project for highlighting, informing and entertaining for 200 episodes!

OTMommy spOTlight on : Chris Bugaj, the Practical and Fun Host of ATTIPSCAST

When I dove into assistive technology, head first, a colleague had directed me to A.T.TIPSCAST, a podcast providing over 460 quick and easy AT Tips available for all learners to use in the school setting. Since then, I have enjoyed listening to Chris Bugaj share his knowledge and experiences, often incorporating them as soon as I walk in the door at my school. Of course, I have now also read his book and attended a webinar, using his advice and strategies to improve the life of my students. Let's just say, he's quite the guru of Practical and Fun ways to integrate strategies and technology into the classroom. So this is kinda like a professional Wayne's World moment....

Thanks again Chris for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions for the post!

1. Your shared experiences make me want to work for Loudoun County School System!  Have you always been in education?

Yes, in fact, I’ve worked my entire professional career in LCPS. I started there in 1999 and haven’t ever felt the need to leave. I’ve looked, applied, and even interviewed other places since I started but the grass never appeared greener anywhere else.

2. You’ve been an SLP for how many years, now?  What inspired you to focus on assistive technology?

I was the speech-language pathologist for Hillside Elementary School for 3 years. In that time the school had an autism program and a program for students with intellectual disabilities. I also worked extensively over the summers with students receiving extended school year services, wasn’t afraid to share my opinions and strategies at staff meetings, and occasionally demonstrated how I was using technology to manage my caseload. In 2002, LCPS hired a full time assistive technology person. She created a team of volunteers but lobbied administration to create a dedicated team. Our director of special education saw the need and established the team.

I was fortunate enough to be asked to be on the new AT Team. For one year, my fourth year with the district, I split my time. In the mornings I did speech-language services in a preschool classroom and in the afternoons I worked with my teammates to establish the district’s AT Team. I found it incredibly rewarding to be trusted with such a tremendously important task. We all dove right in!

3. I know I can describe the times I felt totally validated when I was working a student who demonstrated success; you know, when they finally get the picture exchange concept during a sensory based play experience or when that non-verbal kiddo says “cool” for the first time.  Can you share one of your most fond therapeutic moments?

There are so many! It’s hard to choose, but these are probably the two moments that stand out.

1. BIG PUMPKIN LIVE - When I was the SLP at the elementary school one of the books I used regularly in lessons was BIG PUMPKIN. It’s about big, strong, capable monsters trying to get a pumpkin that is stuck in the ground off the vine in time for Halloween. In the end, it’s a tiny, weak, but clever bat that figures out how to solve the problem. A student with autism with social and verbal expression goals had read the book with me. Later in the month at the Fall Festival assembly I directed some teachers through a live adaptation of the story. Teachers dressed like characters from the book and performed it live as I told the story. At the end of the play, before the crucial scene where the bat flies in with the winning idea for how to get the pumpkin off the vine, I stopped the show, turned to the audience and asked, “What do you think they should do to get the pumpkin off the vine.” The first grade student with autism immediately raised his hand. I ran to him, jumping over Kindergarteners in a single bound, and shoved the mic in his face. Then I asked, “Do you know what they should do?”

With all the confidence in the world the boy grabbed the mic, pulled it to his  

mouth and yelled, “They should work together!”

b. One summer as a speech pathologist I worked with a middle school student with some of the worst articulation difficulties I'd ever seen. He worked on his family's farm daily in near isolation. He was shy, embarrassed, worrisome, friendless, and nearly unintelligible. On the last day of our summer together his grandmother told me that he told her that he felt like I had helped him so much that he wanted to buy me something with his own money. They went shopping and he bought me this plaque. I’ve kept it ever since.

4. What prompted you to write the book and create the A.T.TIPSCAST?

Our assistive technology team was established. It was working. We had pushed the boulder of establishing our presence with policies and procedures up the mountain. The task changed from creating a team to maintaining the team. Being part of building the AT Team was the single most fulfilling thing I’d done in my professional career. I realized that I enjoyed the building and creating part of the experience. We made something that wasn’t there before. Once it was made the question became, what should I be a part of making next?

At the time I was commuting 2 hours a day and listening to many podcasts. When I went searching for podcasts on assistive technology I found the pickings to be slim. That inspired me to try my hand at it. I ran it past my wife, who was nothing but encouraging, and off to work I went in the evenings producing the first few episodes of the A.T.TIPSCAST. The excitement of making something has been there ever since!

As for the Practical (and Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools, Sally Norton-Darr, the co-author of the book, and I were presenting at our very first national conference, FETC (The Florida Educational Technology Conference) in Orlando. Our presentation was called Chew the P.H.A.T. Policies and How-To’s in Assistive Technology. The presentation was designed around our service delivery model, which at the time, was pretty unique in the country. The night before the presentation I had the idea to incorporate Disney references on just about every slide and invite people to yell out the movie titles when they saw the reference. I ran it past Sally about an hour before the presentation. She loved the idea and we jumped in altering slides.

The presentation was a huge success with a great amount of audience participation and interaction. At the very end a man came up to us and asked us if we’d ever considered writing a book on the subject. I said, “Absolutely!” and Sally agreed. That man was Jeff Bolkan, a managing editor for the International Society on Technology in Education. I had just launched the A.T.TIPSCAST the previous month and there I was with Sally writing the book! Like the presentation, the A.T.TIPSCAST, and everything else I try to do, we wrote the book in a very unique style with the hopes that it would be engaging to reader. We didn’t want the book to feel like a chore to read. By using fun analogies to zombies, leprechauns, pirates, robots and more we thought it might be something that would keep readers turning the page instead of falling asleep.

5. You are coming up on your 150th podcast milestone soon.  When you started it, did you ever think it would be as widespread and popular as it is?  Are you going to do anything special to celebrate?

I don’t know how widespread and popular the podcast really is. The underlying message of the show is that the technology we use for students with disabilities is really technology that could be used to for everyone. Sometimes I think just the fact that the term “assistive technology” is in the title keeps general educators from discovering it and the show is as much for them as it is for anyone.  Still, I had no idea anyone would ever listen to the show and to this day the number of downloads vary wildly per episode. I do have an idea for the 149th and 150th episodes, but it is going to take some time to pull those together. We’ll have to wait and see what comes of it.

6. What does the future hold for the Bugajs? Perhaps a traveling education show with your wife, Melissa, discussing special education, and your kids commenting on how to use multisensory media to get projects done?

Absolutely! There are definitely future plans for my wife and I to present even more in the future. We present together as often as we can because we have a lot of fun together! As for the kids, that is also something we’ve discussed. Every year our school district puts on its own educational technology conference in June called ActivLoudoun Plus (#ALP15). We’ve been discussing the kids being co-presenters showing the fun technology we use to complete our school assignments.

As for me specifically, I was just asked to join Bruce Baker, creator of Minspeak, on a two week presentation tour of Australia and New Zealand. I’ll be headed to the Land Down Under and the Land of the Long White Cloud this summer to talk about implementing core vocabulary into the classroom. Also, Melissa gets to fly out and join me for a few days as well! We can’t wait, Mate!

7. As a school based therapist struggling to get administration to acknowledge the knowledge and experiences of the in-house therapists and teachers, what advice do you give to people like me to help them develop their own AT Team? (besides buying the book!)

Do remember the character Mad Eye Moody from the Harry Potter series. His key phrase was “Constant Vigilance!” Stay at it. Keep banging that drum. Also, remember that in order to truly sell the idea of the team you need to convince administration that it will save money in the long run. Administration will see the money it will cost to pay a team of professionals. It’s your job to show them the money they’ll save by having those professionals in place. Less non-adoption of technology, less abandonment, less wasted therapy time, less wasted money on technology that isn’t used, less time on training, and so forth. Explain how a team will reduce the amount of headaches they have to deal with on a weekly basis. Show them that you’ll start the process of assistive technology consideration by thinking about what’s already in the environment and attempting to solve problems using least restrictive solutions. Lastly, put the responsibility on yourself to make the change. Don’t get frustrated that the administration isn’t doing what you know is right. Chances are they want what you want, but the barrier is often tied to the purse strings. Knowing that, you can focus on getting some really sharp scissors to cut those strings.

8. What is your favorite app (and it doesn’t have to be AT related)?

ATEVAL2GO, of course!

But, I’m also a fan of Timehop - for remembering all my old posts, Up *synced to my UP24 band)- for tracking my steps and calories, and, in the summer, Zombies, Run! which is a clever way to get me out the door and on my feet by being chased by a horde of zombies.

Finally, my absolute app, of all time, is the podcasting app. There is SO much free content out there that is really interesting to me I never have time for it all.

9. What are the top five items in your therapy tool box?

Back in grad school I saw a classmate spend all weekend making a super fancy board game to play with a kid. I whipped up my crappy little board game in under an hour. We went in to our respective therapy sessions and both kids came out smiling from ear to ear enjoying themselves. I realized early on that the best therapy is making connections with people, not the tools or gadgets you have in your backpack. If you’re genuinely enjoying yourself then the student will too and then they’ll make progress. What are my top 5 items?

• A smile coupled with a laugh
• Patience
• Dice
• Video Camera
• Sense of Humor

10. You are a very busy person! On top of a family man, you are a speech therapist, author, blogger, podcast host, TedTalker, Webinar-er, App Developer and national presenter. Am I missing anything?

I try to workout and run every now and again. Back in 2009 I weighed close to 200 lbs. On my son’s first day of Kindergarten I changed my eating patterns and started exercising. Since then I’ve lost about 55 lbs and have managed to keep it off. I’m pretty proud of that.

On top off all of that, I really enjoyed writing the children’s stories with my wife. Night Light Stories has been a really fun, rewarding ride for us! Our other responsibilities have prevented us from keeping up with it at this time but it is something I hope to get back to soon because I really enjoyed creating those stories for kids of all ages!

11. And if anyone wants to get in touch with you, what is the best way to contact you?

Website: http://attipscast.com

E-mail: attipscast@gmail.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/attipscast

I can't thank Chris enough for taking time out of his zombie-running, podcast-producing, therapy-giving schedule.  I highly recommend heading to iTunes and subscribing to A.T.TIPSCast to learn quick and easy tips on your drive to work that you can implement once you get there. You can also find videos on Chris’s You Tube channel for you visual learners. And if you want to learn how to be constantly vigilant and develop your own AT Team in your district, consider reading The Practical (and Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools, available through ITSE publishing. It's informative and entertaining. Don't forget to check out his TEDx Talk "Disability-led innovation for the masses" and Night Light Stories.