Does My AAC Look and Sound Like Me? | Dr. Christina Royster - the gestalt get-together

Put identity at the heart of communication. Guest: Christina Royster, EdD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD Watch on Youtube In this episode of The Gestalt Get-Together podcast, host Corinne Zmoos welcomes Christina Royster, EdD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, to discuss the importance of cultural representation and customization in pediatric augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). They examine how biases and barriers within AAC apps and programs can limit representation for children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and why personalization matters when creating meaningful communication experiences. AAC should do more than support communication. It should also reflect the identity, experiences, and culture of the person using it. Christina shares practical ideas for customizing AAC systems to better represent a child's language, family, cultural background, and everyday life, helping SLPs think beyond standard vocabulary and system features. Corinne also connects these considerations to the communication needs of multilingual and multicultural gestalt language processors, highlighting how thoughtful AAC selection and customization can better reflect each child's unique identity and communication needs. About the Guest: Dr. Christina Royster is the owner/founder of Play on Words Therapy (MD/DC). She has been practicing for fifteen years, specializing in working with individuals with various language differences and AAC. She is a Board Certified Specialist in both AAC and Child Language. Christina currently works in a variety of settings, including private practice, schools, adult group homes, and academia. She has also run an award-winning, language-based summer program for the past ten years. Christina advocates for increased diversity and inclusivity in the SLP field through DiverCity SLP and DiverseAAC. Show Notes: Contact Corinne Zmoos: Instagram , LinkedIn , Linktree Contact Christina Royster: LinkedIn Practical Resources for Provision of Services to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Users of AAC Training Partners in AAC in Culturally Diverse Families Lending Libraries Universal Core Vocabulary Diverse AAC