Initially recorded on June 3, 2020
Cris Micheli, PhD
Neuroscientist and Biosignal Engineer, Cognixion
Highlights:
Brain Computer Interface engineer shares his professional journey
Speakprose eye tracking technology explored
Future of BCI, EEG, AR, and AAC
Join us for a new AAC Live interview
every Wednesday!
Initially recorded on May 27, 2020
Glen Dobbs
President and CEO LoganTech
Highlights:
Shift to creating Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for local healthcare workers
Continued innovation in the area of AAC
Join us for a new AAC Live interview
every Wednesday!
Initially recorded on May 20, 2020
Andreas Forsland
CEO and Co-Founder Cognixion
Highlights:
Disruption brings creativity to AAC
Streamlined access to online evaluations, onboarding, and ongoing support
Eye tracking AAC technology available on the iPad
Brain Computer Interface and augmented reality coming to AAC
Join us for a new AAC Live interview
every Wednesday!
Initially recorded on May 13, 2020
Carol Zangari, Ph.D., CCC/SLP
Co-Founder PrAACtical AAC
Professor at Nova Southeastern University
Highlights:
Service requirements and fulfillment gaps related to special education and AAC
Communication supports specific to hospitalization
Increased family and cross-professional participation in AAC support
Join us for a new AAC Live interview
every Wednesday!
Initially recorded on May 6, 2020
Lucas Steuber, MA Applied Linguistics, MS CCC/SLP
Director of Product Development, Cognixion
Highlights:
Telepractice and AAC
Long term changes in national telepractice services
Building tools and supports
Join us for a new AAC Live interview
every Wednesday!
One of the healthcare industry’s most highly connected speech-language pathologists joins Cognixion, an advanced technology company utilizing AI to enhance physical capabilities that empower people with disabilities to interact with the world at full speed.
Mai Ling Chan, MS, CCC-SLP, is an Arizona-based speech-language pathologist, entrepreneur, and mom of three. Having launched two software-based companies providing online professional education in the areas of special needs, speech therapy, and disability supports, Mai Ling is a unique speech therapist who also has deep knowledge of website design, UI/UX, social media marketing, customer service, and start-up chutzpah. Building on 14 years of clinical experience, Mai Ling has led her team in providing behind the scenes support to over 50 disability leaders; including speech-language pathologists, special educators, lawyers, and advocates, providing highly insightful, educational, comprehensive, and relevant resources.
“I am honored to work alongside the most brilliant minds in neurotechnology, accessibility, digital health and education, and speech pathology. It is my greatest hope to make a difference in the world of disabilities engaging all of my experiences, talents, and genuine love for people.”
She is best known for her genuine respect, admiration, and passionate support of thought leaders and activists in the disability community. Mai Ling provides thousands of hours of professional and caregiver support through her co-founded online education platform, XceptionalED, the Xceptional Podcast Network, and her Xceptional Leaders Podcast. In her role as CEO of those companies, she forged long-lasting relationships with major organizations, individuals, parents, and people with disabilities, unified in their commitment to information, advocacy, access, and inclusion.
An early adopter of tech, she is typically first to purchase new technology (Apple Watch, 2015) and currently enjoys a smart home complete with Alexa on her digital thermostat which can also control her “Dustin Beiber” Roomba. Mai Ling integrated the iPad into clinical practice as early as 2012 and has extensive experience supporting iPad and dedicated device users of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) software in the medical and educational environments, as well as throughout the home.
It was a perfect match for her when Andreas Forsland, CEO of Cognixion, asked if she would be interested in joining the world’s most advanced AI assistive technology company. In her role as Director, Growth and Achievement, Mai Ling will be focused on spotlighting and sharing the Speakprose software application which offers eye gaze and facial gesture access to expressive communication software for people with communication challenges - allowing them to use their face, eyes, hands or switch to control their Speakprose communication app.
As a mission-driven company, Cognixion also matches Mai Ling’s personal purpose and values. Aiming to unlock speech for hundreds of millions of people worldwide affected by communication disabilities, Cognixion envisions a near future where we will interact with AI-Powered People at school, at work and on the go.
Cognixion is headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA with offices in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mai Ling will be based in Phoenix, AZ where she will help clinical professionals, families, and individuals throughout the United States and Canada achieve personal and professional growth through live online video training and telepractice support.
Mai Ling will continue to serve as CEO of XceptionalED and provide inspiration and insight on disability entrepreneurship through guest interviews on her Xceptional Leaders Podcast. She is very active on social media as @mailingchan and @mailingchanSLP. She also spotlights podcast guests through her Xceptional Leaders column in the Inspiring Lives Magazine, available quarterly via subscription and in Barnes and Nobles.
Connect with Mai Ling on LinkedIn and check out
Speakprose at http://speakprose.com/.
One of the world’s best-known Speech-Language Pathologists - and among the foremost experts in Augmentative and Alternative Communication Technology (AAC) - left a position directing product for the largest company in the industry in order to join Cognixion the world’s most advanced and accessible Assistive Technology company.
Lucas Steuber, MA Applied Linguistics, MS CCC/SLP, is an American-born Linguist and Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in supplements and alternatives to oral speech, such as augmentative/alternative communication (AAC). As a researcher, clinician, and consultant, and like many in our field, it was a family need that led him to this vocation; as a result, Lucas is a prolific writer, public speaker, and activist. While you may not have heard of the products this three-time Best of CES Winner has created, you’ve certainly seen them in use.
Having just served as the Global Product Manager, Director of Product Management, and Director of Customer Journey for Tobii Dynavox, he personally made decisions that sparked 4,600% unit sales growth in their flagship software product, trimmed and honed messaging and portfolio, and prepared two Product Managers to jointly replace him. Prior to that he was the Director of Clinical Content for Avaz in Chennai, India, where he aided in the creation of the titular Avaz app and co-created FreeSpeech, both of which consistently trend in the top five in multiple iOS App Store categories
Lucas now joins Cognixion, a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) development company as Director of Product Management. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, but with research and development primarily in Toronto, Ontario, Lucas will split his time between the sites, as he has done in the past between the United States, Sweden, and elsewhere.
Cognixion is a mission-driven company, aiming to unlock speech for hundreds of millions of people worldwide affected by communication disabilities. By providing affordable and accessible technologies that are powered by AI (artificial intelligence), the world will look and feel very different in the next decade. We will be interacting with far more AI-Powered People at school, at work and on the go. Imagine a world where there are thousands of creators, scientists, artists, engineers, change-makers and philosophers just like Stephen Hawking, contributing to society now that they have a voice.
We are on the cusp of a potential renaissance in assistive technology; “for some people technology makes things easier, for others technology makes things possible.” It’s only a matter of years now before what we call accessibility becomes synonymous with personalization. I can’t wait to help to get us there - and am thrilled to be young enough to watch.
Lucas also serves as Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) for the AAC development firm Socky, based out of Israel. Prior to his current work, Lucas founded the educational network SpeechScience, from which he is best known for co-hosting the podcast Talking With Tech that reaches as much as 1/5th of the world's SLPs, as well as serving as a practicing Speech-Language Pathologist in the public schools, private practice, and home health.
In addition, he holds positions in the strategic planning and core working groups of the Autism Society of America. The nonprofit funding organization Adler’s Voice, and serves in a variety of advisory roles for both United States and international Speech-Language Pathology and rehabilitation engineering licensing bodies.
Lucas can be reached at lucas@cognixion.com and can be relied upon to be the primary point of contact for all Assistive software, clinical, and marketing inquiries moving forward.
The United Nations (UN) World Health Organization (WHO) published its Comprehensive Mental Health Plan for 2020 to Address the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We’re making this plan available to those in our Cognixion network because it’s important to know that the work we all are doing towards creating a more sustainable, abundant and just world can benefit from knowing what kind of strategic and tactical plans are being adopted worldwide towards creating policies and regulations that are directly measurable in every community. These plans become guideposts for what’s ahead in the 5 to 10+ year horizon.
If you’d like to download the report, click the download button below.
If you want to say thanks for the report, feel free to share this page with your network and like the blog post.
Keep up the good work in transforming humanity and the world.
Andreas, CEO @Cognixion
Follow us on:
Gradually, we’re witnessing the slow erasure of barriers in today’s world, and that’s not just in politics or business – it’s in the classroom, too. Thanks to technological progress, new digital technologies are easily available and providing special needs students with new educational opportunities.
Parenting a child with special needs comes with unique challenges, and you need to be well-equipped to handle those challenges. It’s all too easy to let even basic self-care slide, so start getting back to basics and find ways to incorporate these tips into your life so you can be at your best for your child.
