Our speech therapist, Shirley Feng, recently co-presented co-presented with Nancy Inman (owner of WordPower) and Lisa Timm, at the recent Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference in Orlando, Florida on WordPower60 Mandarin for TouchChat. The session introduced groundbreaking advancements in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for Mandarin-speaking individuals.
Shirley, who is a bilingual speech-language pathologist and native Mandarin speaker, played a key role in the development of WordPower60 Mandarin. This powerful AAC vocabulary expands the accessibility of the TouchChat app, catering to the communication needs of over 900 million native Mandarin speakers worldwide.
The presentation provided an in-depth exploration of WordPower60 Mandarin’s guiding principles, detailing how the vocabulary set was designed to support a wide range of individuals with speech and language challenges. Shirley shared insights from clinical observations and beta-testing, which involved collaboration with native speakers, families, and AAC professionals in various countries including China, Singapore, and USA.
A particularly valuable aspect of the session was the discussion on resources for English-speaking communication partners who support bilingual AAC users. Shirley emphasized the importance of cultural and linguistic considerations in AAC, ensuring that Mandarin-speaking users receive optimal support in both home and clinical settings.
As the global AAC community continues to push for more inclusive and effective communication tools, Shirley’s contributions to WordPower60 Mandarin mark a significant step toward breaking language barriers and empowering individuals with complex communication needs. Her presentation at ATIA stressed the crucial role of bilingual AAC solutions in addressing gaps between diverse linguistic communities.