Supporting Speech, Language and Learning through Technology with Barbara Fernandes

Inclusive Education Project (IEP) Podcast

Welcome to the official start of summer and to our exciting conversation with author, innovator, researcher, educator and teacher, and entrepreneur, Barbara Fernandes, as we discuss her involvement in technology.

Barbara Fernandes, an award-winning Brazilian-American Speech-Language Pathologist, immigrated to the United States as an adult with very limited English skills. She went on to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in her field, founding two businesses and revolutionizing her field with nearly seventy successful product launches to date. She has released 70 apps in the iOS app store.

Show Highlights:

• Barbara shares what initially drew her into technology and how she decided to continue working in her field.
• Barbara knew what types of technology was needed in the speech-language field, so building the apps related to speech-language was a natural fit.
• Barbara tells about her development of Smarty Symbols, which has been adopted as the symbol of choice in many other technology technologies developed in the field. https://www.smartyearsapps.com/barbara-fernandes-2/
• Vickie, Amanda, and Barbara discuss the importance of photos matching what kids are familiar with; ie. not using obsolete phone pictures but using present-day phone pictures
• When ipads were introduced into education, many people thought technology would be too expensive and that students would destroy the devices. Barbara shares how expensive apps were in the beginning.
• There has been such a progression with the availability of technology within and outside of the classroom and it is much more widely accepted now. The use of technology has been a gradual progression.
• Barbara says there are many outdoor/community places where kids do not have access to their devices. (museums, pools, beaches, waiting rooms, etc.)
• Communication boards installed in various places help kids when they do not have their devices. This is something for which Barbara advocates within her area in Texas.
• Technology can go beyond the classroom and Barbara shares about attending a meeting at city hall, where she convinced the city to purchase a communication board.

Thank you for listening!

Links/Resources

Connect with Barbara:

Instagram

LinkedIn

Smart Years Apps website

Connect with the IEP Podcast:

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