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 University of Malta. Dr. Aguis shares about her doctoral work with AAC and her efforts to train teachers and develop AAC resources across Malta!

Before the interview, Chris and Rachel discuss the concept of “best” practices and why, in their opinion, using that phrase in the context of therapy can potentially be confusing, or even a turn off, to others.

Key Ideas this Week:

🔑 Redefining Communication Beyond Assistive Technology – Dr. Aguis challenges the traditional categorization of AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) as merely a subset of assistive technology. She emphasizes that communication happens through multiple modes—gestures, symbols, and even digital expressions like emojis—highlighting the need for a broader understanding of AAC beyond just high-tech devices.

🔑 Interdisciplinary and Holistic Approaches to AAC – Effective AAC implementation requires collaboration across disciplines. Dr. Aguis discusses how occupational therapists, educators, and families play a crucial role alongside speech therapists. She also stresses the importance of addressing sensory needs before AAC intervention, particularly for autistic individuals, as sensory regulation significantly impacts communication success.

🔑 Global Challenges in AAC Accessibility and Language Representation – The discussion reveals disparities in AAC accessibility worldwide, particularly in languages like Maltese that lack text-to-speech technology. Dr. Aguis highlights the need for universal design in AAC systems and advocates for increased global efforts to ensure linguistic inclusivity in assistive technology.

Learn more about the Communication Matters International AAC Conference at https://communicationmatters.org.uk/conference

Visit talkingwithtech.org to listen to previous episodes, find new resources, and more!

Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!