Posts by Charlene Cullen

About Charlene Cullen

Charlene has worked as a speech pathologist in the disability field for over 14 years. Various roles have included working as a therapist, supervisor and resource consultant with the Disability Services Commission in Western Australia. More recently she has worked for Spectronics as an inclusive technology consultant across Australia and New Zealand. Over this time she has developed a wealth of knowledge in practical applications of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and assistive technology and has a strong desire to support and educate parents, teachers, therapists and others in using inclusive technologies.

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Play that funky music

Play that funky music

Now that the Spectronics Inclusive Learning Technology Conference 2012 is just days away I have been busily preparing for the workshops I will be presenting. In one of our sessions we’ll be showing the Applicator which is a new switch interface, also known as the Switch4Apps. This has just become available through Spectronics recently. Jane wrote a thorough …

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Creating and saving a new symbol in Boardmaker

Creating and saving a new symbol in Boardmaker

When we are using the Boardmaker Software Family we can get creative with making our own new symbols from the existing PCS (Picture Communication Symbols). One symbol I like to use frequently when I am making a visual schedule is the black and white checks for “finished”. It’s one symbol that I have had to create myself. You …

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Hear ye, hear ye – announcing the EchoRA

Hear ye, hear ye – announcing the EchoRA

If you’ve ever been someone who needed to use their voice all day for a presentation, classroom or workshop then you’ll know it’s important to be heard by the audience.

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Communication resources for adult settings

Communication resources for adult settings

There’s no doubt in my mind that alternative and augmentative communication (AAC ) is an important consideration for adults with complex communication needs (CCN). It is especially essential for encouraging social participation and getting individuals involved in life activities. But finding resources about implementing AAC with adults can be tricky. The DynaVox implementation toolkit has some great newsletters …

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Difference between PCS Thinline and PCS Classic symbols

Difference between PCS Thinline and PCS Classic symbols

Recently we have had a lot people asking us about the difference between the PCS Thinline symbols and PCS Classic symbols that are available to use with the Boardmaker Software Family. You can read about the new Thinline symbols in a blog I wrote earlier in the year. The new PCS Thinline symbols could be described as age …

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TRY this – Rugby World Cup 2011

TRY this – Rugby World Cup 2011

It all starts this weekend with the kick off for the Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand beginning with New Zealand vs Tonga on Friday night. Be prepared for late nights (or early mornings) and lots of yelling at the television! We have created some exciting interactive activities using our popular Boardmaker and Clicker 5 software. You …

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Social Networking for All

Social Networking for All

On a daily basis I communicate with a variety of people using emails, text messaging, the phone and good old fashioned face-to-face chats! But these days it is also quite common for me to communicate with friends, family, professional colleagues and beyond using social networking tools such as Facebook, Google + and Twitter.

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How Things Have Changed in the World of Professional Learning

How Things Have Changed in the World of Professional Learning

I remember the days when I first entered the working world as a speech pathologist and I was keen to continue my learning (as we should) through attendance at professional development events, meeting with my supervisor, joining special interest groups that I attended monthly and reading the photocopied journals that circulated via the internal mail network and landed …

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What’s new in single and sequential message AAC devices?

What’s new in single and sequential message AAC devices?

Most of us are probably aware that McDonald’s is not the only place to obtain a Big Mac! If you work with people with communication impairments then it is likely that you have come across and used a BIGmack as a single message recording device for enhancing communication within the classroom, workplace, home or in the community. However, …

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Going Global to Make a Difference

Going Global to Make a Difference

Anna, Laura and Lisa are Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology students from Curtin University, Perth who travelled to South Africa during May. They were accompanied by staff and seven other allied health students to form a team working as part of the Go Global program.

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