Episode 315: 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 high-tech AAC as a doctoral student in assistive technology, her work as co-chair of the 2023 ISSAAC conference in Cancun, and more!

Before the interview, Chris and Rachel have a fun discussion about suno.com, an AI song generator that creates some incredible songs about AAC - right on the spot! Chris and Rachel talk about how fun the tool is, and Rachel reflects on some of the motivating therapy lessons that she can create with this tool!

Key Ideas this Week:

🔑 To AAC users, Dr. Chung says: don’t shy away from becoming activists.  It is more than about speaking up, it’s about sharing your lived experiences and pushing towards a world that is inclusive for all. Each story we share, every obstacle we tackle, it expands the realm of understanding and acceptance.

🔑 To family members of AAC Users, Dr. Chung says: be a voice for your loved ones, ensuring they are heard in every space. It’s about empowering AAC users and their right to communicate themselves and making their own decisions. It’s crucial to respect and support their preferred method of communicating - this is a deep form of respect that lets them know you see and support them.

🔑 To service providers, Dr. Chung says: please listen to AAC users. Implementing AAC for someone needs to be a collaborative journey you embark on together. Involving AAC users in every step of the process is essential. This partnership ensures that AAC solutions are tailored to meet the unique needs of each user, fostering a more effective and empowering communication experience.

Links from This Week’s Episode:

NAACA Communication Access Video 

Suno.com: Online AI Song Generator

Transcript of the Episode

Please Note: This transcript was generated using speech recognition & AI tools; it may contain some grammatical and/or spelling errors.

00:00:08
Welcome to Talking with Tech, where we get things wrong. We can tell you a story by singing a song.

00:00:18
Are you excited for me to sing, Chris? I'm not ready. I'm scared.

00:00:25
Um, well, okay. Songs don't have to rhyme, right, Rachel?

00:00:29
No, they definitely don't.

00:00:30
No. Right. But sometimes they do. Um, and you can see there that I generated that song right on the spot. Right.

00:00:36
All by myself, with my own brain, Rachel. I did that, uh, that rhyming, because once upon a time, I learned, uh, phonetic awareness. Clearly, I could do better, right? And if I had more time, I could practice a little bit more. But because we're living in the world of regenerative AI, we have tools that can help us learn to sing songs like Suno AI.

00:00:59
Rachel, have you used suno AI yet?

00:01:02
Nope, not yet, but I'm excited to dive in.

00:01:05
All right, well, if you wouldn't mind sharing your screen, what we're going to put in as the in between the banter and the episode is a song that I created in suno AI. But let's make one together right now, Rachel, shall we?

00:01:21
Let's do it.

00:01:23
Okay, so this is a generative AI tool where you can make a song by putting in some text and choosing what genre of song you want to use, what you want to create. So here we are at Suno AI. You go make a song over on the top, right?

00:01:40
Okay.

00:01:42
Okay. And what it takes you to is this sort of library where you can explore what other people have made. Eh, I'm not so interested. What I'm really interested is the create button over on the left and here is very similar to other generative AI tools, where you can type in some text and then create a song. So what do you think?

00:02:02
What comes to mind, Rachel, when it comes to something in the world of AAC or our podcast and whatever that concept is, think about some sort of type of music, you know, like country or punk rock or, I don't know, whatever. Whatever, like, is floating your boat in the moment.

00:02:20
Let's do one on modeling language for AAC users.

00:02:25
Okay. Fun. Because that's one of the ones I did. I did not modeling. I did teach me the word turn and use it five different ways in a song, and it's like, well, have a great way.

00:02:35
Right?

00:02:36
And it was awesome. So I'll share that one with Luke, too, so we can have it in the. In the episode as well. Okay, so you're gonna do one on modeling, and then. Sorry, what genre are you gonna do it?

00:02:46
I don't know. Chris, what genre should do what goes good with modeling? I feel like I want something upbeat and fun.

00:02:53
Okay. I mean. Well, how about, like, pop?

00:02:56
Yeah, sure. Pop. Or can we do dance?

00:03:00
Yeah.

00:03:00
Is that a genre you could put.

00:03:01
I don't know. How about dance pop?

00:03:03
Dance pop? Ooh, let's see. Okay, so I put in the song description.

00:03:08
Yeah. A dance pop song about. And then I would be as descriptive as possible here, you know? Cause if we just said modeling, will the AI really know that you know about AAC? So Rachel's writing a dance pop song about modeling.

00:03:25
Core words on.

00:03:27
I should probably put augmentative alternative communication system for. To teach students how to use language in their. Let's put classrooms. And should I just leave it at classrooms? I'm gonna say.

00:03:50
And at home, because we want them to use it all the time.

00:03:53
Yeah. Well, how about to use language everywhere instead of in their classroom? All right. And then there's some choices here, like instrumental, but we don't want it to be instrumental. We want the.

00:04:03
We want someone singing it. Right. So here we go. And you hit the create button. And now it's doing its work.

00:04:08
You know, it's going out there, and it's. It's looking for words, and it's spinning, and it's trying to mesh it with a pop beat. You know, it's trying to lay down that fat beat.

00:04:20
All right. I'm so excited for this one of them there.

00:04:25
Oh, they're both ready now, which one should I first?

00:04:28
I'll do the top one.

00:04:29
I don't know.

00:04:30
Ready?

00:04:30
All right. The top one.

00:04:32
We got the beats, we got the rhythm, and we're here to play everywhere we go we light up the stage from a to z, we're gonna show you how to say all those words in a brand new way touch the screen, let your fingers do the talking hey, z, it's a language we're a lock in no need to worry when you struggle alert just keep on walking let's talk it out let's find our voice with AAC, we got the choice from school to home and everywhere we go let's fill our voice, let em flow.

00:05:23
I love this, Chris.

00:05:25
Oh, my gosh. Right? How awesome was that?

00:05:29
That is so good. So, does the other one have the same lyrics? It's just a different song.

00:05:36
Yes, exactly. Different beat, in case you didn't like that beat. So maybe we could play a second of it. But just real quick, before you hit that, I want to explain something else that our listening audience might not see. And that is it also generated the text.

00:05:50
So you can be following along, reading the text as the song is happening, very much like if you've had use Spotify and there's lyrics, and they'll kind of scroll through the song in Spotify. Same idea. All right, should we listen to the second?

00:06:06
Let's listen to v two. Let's see if we like it better. Ooh, it's different.

00:06:22
All those words in a brand new way touch the screen, let your fingers defend together let's find our voice.

00:06:46
I love this, Chris. I can't wait to do this with all of my strength students.

00:06:55
And just think of all the different things you could teach people with music, right? All the different core words we could put together and share them all out on the Internet with different ways that the AI has created this song. And, I mean, it would just be a blast because you could take the same lyrics and make it a country song or a hard rock song, right. There's so many different combinations of all the different things we could teach. I'm so excited for this particular tool.

00:07:19
I am, too. And think about how many of our students, their favorite things is music their favorite thing? Like, I have so many kids that's, like, their top motivating thing is music. And I just love that we can teach through this type of tool and especially, like, core language. What a great idea, Chris, is, like, creating core songs for core language.

00:07:44
I know a lot of people out there do core word of the week, and really, anything you're teaching, like, you could be teaching about, you know, volcanoes and, like, create a song. Like, it doesn't. It's not just specific to either, but I feel like, for our students, who are very motivated by music. Yes. I love this.

00:08:04
Yeah. Like, so many kids, right. With the rhythm. Right is what will help stick in their minds. So, yeah, you could.

00:08:11
Oh, so many ideas, Rachel. Down in the bottom left, or I guess next to each version in the top right, there is a share button. Can we just review what those options are for sharing?

00:08:22
Yes, it looks like I can copy it to my clipboard. Let's see. Okay, here we go. Oh, I can add to a playlist on here, but I can also make it public. So I guess that's how you go and share it with people.

00:08:41
Well, the second to last one is what was most intriguing to me, the download button. So you can now download the audio. I wonder if the video is. Oh, I haven't played with the video, but download the audio, and then you can, you know, save that someplace else so that kids don't necessarily have to go here and wrestle with that explore feature. Right?

00:09:00
Because who knows what other people have created and what kind of stuff they put in there. But here you can create and then export and put it where you want it. So that, to me, seems safer.

00:09:10
Totally. Yes. I love that idea. And yeah, this is so cool, Chris. I'm, like, super pumped.

00:09:17
Also, I just have to share behind the scenes. Chris, you did this and you shared it on our slack channel. You're about to hear the song that Chris created about talking with Tuck. And it literally, I was having a bad day and I listened to that song and I started cracking up, laughing so hard at this creation of yours. So it was a pleasant surprise to my day.

00:09:41
I knew we would talk about on the podcast, and I'm so excited. You're always finding these tools for us, Chris.

00:09:47
You know who else is going to totally love this? Who? Doctor Yoosun Chung, who is the interview today. She's a professor at George Mason University. And I had the great pleasure of meeting her at the impact Voices conference well over a year ago and then seen her since over at Atia and different places.

00:10:08
And we were finally able to get together to record an episode. And that's what you're gonna hear after the song.

00:10:14
We're talking tech, breaking down the walls whenever we're building bridges for all from lazy to inclusive design, we're breaking the layers one episode at a time. Learning language, embracing the boat with every conversation, we're sparking innovation.

00:10:51
She sings a little ditty about all the ways to turn. She says turn left turn right turn around turn it tight so many ways to use this word we've got to learn turn the page, turn the wheel, turn the key make a deal turning is a way of life. It's how we navigate. Whether you're turning in a dance or turning up the heat, it's all about the choices that ultimately shape our faith. So every time you turn, just remember it's a chance to take a different direction.

00:11:43
Welcome to the Talking with Tech podcast. My name is Chris Bugaj, and today I have the special honor to have a someone I have been asking to be on the podcast or thinking about being on the podcast for a long time. We've been going back and forth with schedules because this is a very busy person. And finally, we got her on the podcast. This is Doctor Yoosun Chung.

00:12:05
Doctor Chung, welcome to the talking with Tech podcast. Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do.

00:12:12
Okay, hello, I am Yves, an associate professor in the division of special education of Disability research within the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University, located in northern Virginia. Chris, I believe you work for the Loudoun county public schools, right.

00:12:34
That's true. That's true. I'm the assisted technology specialist right nearby.

00:12:39
So you and I work in the same area?

00:12:42
Yeah.

00:12:44
In my role at the college, my main responsibilities involve teaching courses on assistive technology and special education. I have been teaching for many years. In the last three years, I've decided to pivot a bit towards research activities. It's a bit of a shift since research isn't a requirement for my current position, but it's a challenge I'm excited about.

00:13:11
I think we went. I definitely want to dig into the research here in a little bit, but let me just reflect on the fact that we live nearby and have only seen each other or met each other once or twice, and once wasn't even in Virginia. I think it was at the Atia or something. Yeah. And for years, people have been saying, like, Cindy, George, and other, oh, you have to meet Usun.

00:13:37
You have to meet Usun. I was like, I want to, but I don't know how to. Can you introduce me? Because it'd be weird to just, like, email you out of the blue saying, hi. Everyone says, we need to meet.

00:13:51
So that's. So then we actually did get to meet. The other time was at the impact voices conference.

00:14:00
Yeah.

00:14:01
Where you were the guest speaker, one of the guest speakers at that launch events for that particular organization. So you use AAC. What's been your history and experience with AAC?

00:14:18
To share my journey with AAC, I'll start with a bit of my background to give you a clearer picture. I was born in South Korea, where I completed my education up to high school. Just nine days after being born, I was hospitalized due to severe jaundice. Though I recovered from the jaundice, the complications led to brain damage, affecting my speech and mobility. After high school, I came to America all by myself to pursue higher education.

00:14:53
English is my second language, and naturally, I'm more fluent in Korean. However, in stressful situations like unexpected events, nervous moments, or public speaking, I find it hard to speak in either language. Since when do you think I've been using AAc in my life?

00:15:16
You're asking me to guess, huh? So I'm going to say that from a very young age, you've been using it, but not high tech AAC. So I'm going to guess maybe you use again this is a guess, like maybe. Maybe rewriting some things or using pieces of paper, a notebook or something that you would show to people. And then somewhere along the line, maybe here in the US, someone introduced you to AAC.

00:15:44
That's my guess. But how far off am I?

00:15:50
It might surprise you, but I only came across the term AAC after starting my doctoral program in assistive technology. Until I finished my master's degree, I had not even known AAC existed. Yet I remained silent in class during my bachelor's and master's in computer science in the United States, beginning to accept this as an unchangeable fate. I believed that destiny couldn't be altered by human effort, so I thought there was nothing I could do but accepted. However, my perspective shifted dramatically after I began using AAC.

00:16:35
I realized that destiny can indeed be changed with a strong will and a bit of assistance, specifically AAC. My first encounter with the vast array of AAC options was at the closing the gap conference, my first at conference. I was amazed at the exhibition hall filled with various AAC devices. It was there that I had the opportunity to test different AAC systems and eventually found the one that suited my communication needs perfectly.

00:17:11
Yeah. So you're at. You're at the conference, you see different AAC systems and you tried them right there at the conference. Like, this is something I've never seen before. Yeah.

00:17:24
And is that the same system that you're using today? Right. Do you mind me asking what you use? Yeah.

00:17:32
So I.

00:17:44
So you put this in the chat, and just before you ask me to read these out, just to make sure it says, I am using easy keys by words plus. And so is that mostly text based? Right. Okay. Wow.

00:18:03
So let me just reflect on that for a second. So you were. I would imagine in order to get into college, you must have been doing some sort of writing, right? And so you're expressing yourself through writing, and that's how you get into college. It's not like you need to do a face to face interview, right, where you might be speaking.

00:18:23
So you get into college, then you go to classes, but you're not really speaking in classes. You're just sitting there quietly getting the content. Do you mind if I just dig into this for one little second here? Maybe then there wasn't as many experiences now, but I would imagine that some of the experiences in college are group work or group discussions. And did you run into that when you were in college?

00:19:08
I'm going to read the text. Is that okay? I had some experiences in group work and I remembered someone in the group always said to me, I can't understand you. And, okay, and then we don't have to dig into it anymore. Somewhere along the line, you came to closing the gap, right?

00:19:30
And that's where you found easy keys. Okay, excellent. Excellent. And then you've been using that ever since. And that was that when you had a job.

00:19:42
So that was after college. So while I was in my doctoral program in at, I started using my easy keys. Gotcha. Okay, great. Now let me move.

00:20:10
So, yes, I know the people listening to this want to hear about your personal experiences, but I also very interested to hear about the research and the work you're doing at George Mason University. And I should say, because we are in the same geographic location, I often run into people who will tell me, oh, I'm in the at certificate program, or I'm getting my master's at George Mason University. And then I'll say, oh, tell me some of the classes. And they'll say, oh, I'm with Doctor Chung. And I'll be like, oh, yes.

00:20:42
So again, we have these similar circles where we meet similar people, but we're not always together. So let's dig into this a little bit. Tell us a little bit about the work you're doing in this area. Okay.

00:20:57
In addition to my primary job at my college, I have been deeply involved in the AAC field in several ways. For example, I had the privilege of serving as the president of the United States Society for AAC USAC, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the rights and needs of AAC users. USAC, established in 1991, is the national chapter of the International Society for AAC, known as IsAac. It's been an honor to lead an organization with such active and diverse committees focused on AAC advocacy, where I've been involved in four different committees. I'm also an active member in the North American alliance for Communication Access, also known as NAWCA, which is a collaborative effort among members from communication disabilities access Canada, ISAC Canada, Mexico, and USAC.

00:21:55
This alliance works on enhancing communication accessibility. One of my notable activities in the AAC field was co chairing the 2023 Cancun Isaac Conference, a significant and fulfilling endeavor. With support from IsAac, NagA has developed a wide array of materials aimed at increasing awareness about communication access. This includes producing videos, such as the Communication Access video, which I created alongside Tracy Rackensberger, a fellow AAC user and faculty member at the University of Georgia. NALCA also put together materials aimed at enhancing the accessibility of conferences, both virtual and in person, ensuring they are inclusive and accessible to everyone.

00:22:45
As part of my involvement with NACA, I took on a significant role in playing and leading a communication access ambassador training program specifically for the 2023 Cancun Isaac conference. The aim of this program was to equip ambassadors with the necessary skills to further educate others on advocating for communication access. I'm delighted to share that one of my students distinguished himself as an outstanding communication access ambassador in Cancun. Our ambassador team managed to train around 600 people within just two days. They covered essential ways for engaging appropriately and effectively with AAC users and individuals with communication challenges in various environments, including hotels, convenience stores, restaurants, and during excursions.

00:23:40
Although I wasn't there to see the training sessions myself, the overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants underscores the profound impact of our training program.

00:23:53
So now I'm so at Atia. I was at dinner. So Rachel and I both went to Atia 2024 in Florida. And while we were there, were at dinner and people were talking to us about. You remember, Chris, you remember, Rachel, when we were in Cancun for the IsAac conference, we did this and we did that.

00:24:16
It's like we were never there. We didn't go. And now you're making me feel even more the fomo, the fear of missing out because this at Ambassador program sound or the AAC ambassador program sounds amazing. That is certainly something that keeps coming up. We've been talking about it on the podcast for years, is how do we help the community at large better understand how to be better communication partners?

00:24:41
Right. Like stuff like a store that says, you know, has a sticker that says, I'm AAC aware. Right? Like, I know because I've been some sort of. I've had an at or an AAC ambassador come and my employees have been through some sort of training or experience.

00:24:59
Right. So is that sort of what the ambassadors kind of do is promote that sort of cultural awareness out in the community?

00:25:09
Yeah.

00:25:13
So NACA would like to expand the ambassador program beyond Cancun. Right? So it's there, but then we want more of it. All right. Has work happened in expanding the.

00:25:25
The ambassador program?

00:25:28
Not yet.

00:25:38
Not yet. But we have all the materials, including communication, access, video. Right. That video is also available online, so we can link to it in the show notes. Okay, fantastic.

00:25:50
So with that work, what are some of the implications and outcomes of this work? What are some of the theoretically, where are we going? But then what are some of the practical takeaways pathways that will help others guide their practice?

00:26:07
I think my work that I just mentioned offers key insights that are crucial for shaping future practices and enhancing communication access. Firstly, the ambassador training program in Mexico clearly demonstrates the significance of specialized education and training efforts. Educating people and public about communication access and how to effectively interact with AAC users and those with communication challenges is vital. These efforts do more than merely increase awareness, they foster a more inclusive and accessible environment across various settings. Additionally, the creation and distribution of the communication access video highlight the significant role of firsthand perspectives in advocating for accessibility.

00:27:00
Featuring individuals who have personal experiences with communication barriers and share that the contents on the video, along with related materials and initiatives developed, are both meaningful and effective. These insights support the need for a comprehensive strategy in promoting communication access. Other organizations and practitioners can implement similar approaches to enhance communication access in their own context.

00:27:29
So wherever they're working, or wherever they are, they can take those same principles and apply them to their job, to their volunteer opportunities, to school, right, to university. Wherever you are, you can apply those same ideas, right? Yeah. And let me just call this out for a second. When you said it's more than increasing awareness, we gave each other a smile because I just literally said the word awareness.

00:27:59
But really it's more about acceptance, right? Awareness is the first piece, but then it's about accepting and knowing, expecting to know how to be a good communication partner. Yeah, awesome. All right, so what advice would you give others? Users, family members, practitioners regarding AAC?

00:28:24
For AAC users, I would like to say do not shy away from becoming activists. It is more than just speaking up. It is about shining a light on our lived experiences and pushing towards creating a world that includes it for all. Each story we share, every obstacle we tackle, it gradually expands the realm of understanding and acceptance. And that's exactly why I am here on this podcast now, right?

00:28:54
Yeah.

00:28:57
I take immense pride in being an AAC user. I can't stress enough how important it is to own your story and your means of communication. With pride, your journey, your resilience, it's so powerful. And let's not forget, we have every right to choose how we communicate. Having this freedom is fundamental.

00:29:21
There are moments when one method feels more effective than another, and that's perfectly fine. It's all about what makes you feel most comfortable and understood in that moment. Personally, I often adjust and select the communication method that's most effective for me depending on the situation. For instance, when I speak in Korean, I mainly use my own voice, but I switch between different methods when using English. If I am talking to someone in English, I attempt to use my voice as much as possible.

00:29:56
However, when I encounter words that are difficult for me to pronounce due to my speech challenges, I often write a note and or spell out the words if we are face to face. This flexibility helps me communicate more effectively and ensures I can still express myself clearly regardless of the language barriers or my speech challenges. For more formal settings, like teaching classes, presenting at conferences, or getting interviewed as I am now, I use my high tech AAC in virtual settings. I found that using the chat feature is most effective. The pandemic has introduced unique opportunities for expanding my career scope.

00:30:44
The transition to virtual meetings has particularly benefited me. Being able to use the chat feature has significantly enhanced my ability to communicate in those settings. For family members, I would like to highlight the importance of advocacy. Be a voice for your loved ones, ensuring that they are heard in every space. Advocacy is empowering.

00:31:11
It is about supporting AAC users, empowering their right to express themselves and making their own decisions. It is also crucial to respect and support their preferred ways of communicating. Acknowledging their chosen methods is a deep form of respect. It is like telling them I see you and I support you, no matter how their communication style may vary from one moment to another. Lastly, educating yourself is key.

00:31:43
Diving into the world of AAC to better understand your loved one is not just about learning the tools, it is about connecting, about bridging gaps. The more you learn, the stronger your bond will grow. Finally, to you all the service providers, educators and practitioners, I cannot stress this enough. Please listen to AAC users. Truly listen.

00:32:11
Remember that implementing AAC for an individual is a collaborative journey that you embark on together. Involving users at every step of the process, from start to finish, is not just important, it is absolutely essential. This partnership ensures that MEC solutions are tailored to meet the unique needs and preferences of each user, fostering a more effective and empowering communication experience.

00:32:42
Oh, there's a lot I would like to comment on all of that. So first thing about being an activist, this something we do with this podcast is invite people to come on the podcast where it's always appreciated and never expected. Meaning, just because you use AAC doesn't mean you necessarily have to teach somebody else about AAC. But when you do spend that time, it is so appreciated. And then the second thing that I think is related to that is, like you said, being out there and putting yourself out there breaks down barriers for people that don't have the experiences.

00:33:18
I mean, I'm a speech therapist that gets to the opportunity to see people and interact with people who use AAC, but other people might not. So having the wherewithal to go out there and use your AAC in public, I know that some people, it's a very personal thing, but it's, again, super appreciated because it has a big impact on the world. For those that don't have the minutes that maybe someone like I or Rachel or someone who works in this area has. Is that all fair?

00:33:49
Yeah.

00:33:51
Yeah. Now, the second thing that you. That I would like to comment on is that at Atia, we saw someone who's been on the podcast before Lateef McLeod. And Lateef had a shirt that said nothing about us without us or nothing. Right.

00:34:08
And it was like, yes, it's, again, why we want to interview as many people on this podcast as possible who use AAC so we can learn from them. And just a quick example of something I've certainly learned from doing this podcast six and a half years, because I work primarily with kids at the, you know, in a public school setting. I was really hyper focused for a very long time on teaching language and finding the right system. And I think a lot of people find themselves doing that. Like, I got to find the perfect thing.

00:34:43
And then over these last. You're shaking your head no, right? Yes. A lot of people use, like, maybe you have a primary way, but then a lot of people would say you have to give backups. But I've retained my brain, not really thinking about as a backup system.

00:34:59
Like, you use this or this, it's, you use this and all these other things depending on the moment, depending on the situation, depending on how you, you know, what side of bed you woke up on. Like, everyone feels a different way in different moments. So there might be a different tool that does the job better in a different situation, which I think is something I want to spend more time on teaching kids about, is how do you select and how do you reflect on, was that the right tool? So, yes, I think that really resonates with my own learning, is that I had to not just think about picking the one big perfect thing, but thinking of it as a larger system with all these alternatives and helping people choose what's right in the moment. Is that all fair?

00:35:40
Yep.

00:35:42
And then the other thing that you really said that I think really resonates with me is how the pandemic really opened up doors. There's some silver linings there to the. It was hard for a lot of people, but now that more people are used to using video chats and looking at the chat, and you can take a little bit more time to maybe not just spit out something. You can formulate your thoughts into a chat and hit the back button if you didn't, right? Like sometimes, oh man, how many times do I say something and I wish I could hit the bad back button?

00:36:14
But you can now plot it out a little bit more, right. And take your own time. So I think that's all really important as all of that shows a picture of communication. All fair?

00:36:28
Yep.

00:36:31
I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I just wanted to reflect on all of those awesome comments that you were making. Okay, so with regard to that, there's a kind of a last question that I always like to ask in our interviews, and that is, what's on your mind lately? Like, what are you questing after? What's fueling your curiosity around AAC or beyond? It doesn't have to be related to AAC, but it could be AAC just in your mind.

00:36:56
You're a curious person. You've got a PhD, you're teaching kids. What's, what's that? What's on your mind?

00:37:07
I've been really caught up thinking about the future of AAC, especially with the rapid pace of technological advancement. I've had this dream for a long time. Imagine being able to communicate with anyone, anywhere, at any moment, without any barriers. I had always wished to own a little gadget that could just take my thoughts and turn them into spoken words effortlessly. And yes, this dream still excites me.

00:37:37
However, it also brings along some worries such a device might inadvertently reveal thoughts I prefer to keep private, and it would be indeed troubling a lot indeed. Who's to say? The emergence of such a device may become a reality sooner than we think? Especially with the rapid advancement in artificial intelligence, AI, machine learning, ML, and brain computer interface technologies. It feels like we are right on the blink of something huge.

00:38:17
Thinking about the possibilities is incredibly thrilling. Just imagine thinking something and having your device expressed it for you loud and clear. We are not just talking a small step or easier communication here. We are talking about a giant leap, a complete game changer for how people with communication challenges connect with the world. I am super excited about how technology is moving forward, but it is also kind of wild to think about how all this tech is going to change the way we communicate and connect with each other.

00:38:54
How do we make sure we dont lose that personal touch in an increasingly high tech world? How will these innovations affect our ability to remain authentic or ensure our private thoughts stay private? And what happens when our gadgets start getting a little too smart, knowing us better than we might want. These thoughts, the mix of hope and worry, are what keep me awake at night. Nonetheless, it's the vision of the ido AAC system, one that offers complete freedom without any drawbacks, that fuels my motivation as we approach turning the dream into a reality.

00:39:34
With AI, ML and BCI technologies, I find myself navigating a wave of both excitement and caution, pondering what the future holds for all AAC users, including myself.

00:39:48
Yeah, what a great way to put that, because there's such optimism, but there's also, we have to do it cautiously. And let me just tie that to something that I think a lot of people on this, listening to this podcast would be familiar with. So, for instance, right now, a lot of our AAC devices have the capability to record your, what you're strokes, right. And there's some ethical concerns there about, well, do you want to be able to read everything? And like you said, do I want some sort of company maybe making profits or seeing my inner thoughts.

00:40:26
Right. Or all that's being recorded? Oh, there's a lot of ethical concerns there. And like I said, that's something that exists right now. What happens when it gets even bigger and you can do it with more speed and.

00:40:40
Yeah. So we have to be very cautious about how we go about that in an ethical, ethical consideration so that our privacy is respected. Right. And our autonomy is respected. Fair.

00:40:55
Yeah. And it does seem, though, there's so many opportunities happening right now, and you're right, the way you said it, that we're on the verge of something. Right. All these different technologies and starting to putting them together. Brain computer interface with generative AI, as long as it's under the umbrella of respectful use.

00:41:15
Right. Awesome. Awesome. Well, is there any other final thoughts or anything else you'd like to share that you think our listeners need to know in the chat you put respect is the key. For sure.

00:41:33
For sure. All right, well, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. And please, please, please, now that we know each other, I hope we get to spend even more time together because this is our longest time we've had to interact with this podcast recording. But let's not let that be the end. Right?

00:41:51
Let's continue to continue to grow this relationship. Sound good to me. Awesome. Thanks again for coming on the podcast. Thanks again, and we'll talk to you next time.

00:42:05
Thank you.