Mateo Moreno

Avon, OH

USSAAC Member

Time Zone: Eastern Time

Topics of Special Interest: Student Experience, My Personal Experience with AAC, Multi-modal Communication, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion, AAC Awareness, AAC Advocacy

Type of speaking offered: Workshop/conference, Parent group, Other educational setting (e.g. high school), Manufacturer/developer, Family gathering, College/University class, AAC user group, School-age classrooms (reaching over 2, 500 students) to educate children about AAC and disability and inclusion

Preferred Platforms: Virtual (e.g. Zoom), In Person

Minimum Fee/Honorarium: $150.00 (Check)

Biography

Mateo has used AAC since the age of 4. He enjoys mentoring younger users, including at AAC camps, and talking with families and professionals about his experiences. He's presented nationally to districts, universities and conferences including #TalkingAAC, AAC Talks, ATIA and Charting the Cs. He has also presented internationally at the Communication Matters conference in Leeds, England. Mateo is the winner of the 2026 Prentke Distinguished Lecture award. Mateo is also featured in the documentary Camp ALEC which is streaming on Disney+. He shares about his AAC journey, recommendations for communication partners, his pet peeves and what it's like being the only AAC user in the room. His district presentations have significantly advanced AAC implementation and elevated expectations for student achievement. He loves meeting new people and uses personal stories and humor to build connections.

Testimonials

Graduate students noted how important it was to hear Mateo's perspectives on their role and the dos and don'ts of communicating. He's versatile enough to present his views to any age group. His personality lights up any room, in person or virtually.

Kathryn Dorney, PhD, CCC-SLP
Clinical Instructor
Western Carolina UniversityEvent Organizer

Hearing directly from Mateo deepened my understanding of communication and inclusion by reminding me that individuals who use AAC are not defined by their communication method but that they are whole people with unique personalities, dreams, hobbies, and preferences.

Briana Tomlinson
Graduate Student, Salus at Drexel UniversityAttendee

I'm very grateful to Mateo for taking time out of his day to speak with us. I personally have never talked with an AAC user, so I was excited to hear Mateo speak and didn't know exactly what to expect. Throughout his answers, I noted how much our lessons in 470 were reflected in his life experience. Of course, having lectures discuss important aspects of AAC learning and advocacy is essential, but hearing firsthand from an AAC user reaffirming our lessons was validating.

Excerpts from student reflectionsAttendee

Learning tips for SLPs regarding intervention strategies with our clients who use AAC from Mateo was so important. I will make sure to always keep in mind making sessions fun and social for them when working with children who use AAC. I'd also like to make it my goal to go beyond their communication needs and also focus on quality of life aspects like making social relationships within the AAC community.

Excerpts from student reflectionsAttendee

Mateo spoke with my undergraduate class over Zoom at the end of the semester. The course was intended for future speech-language pathologists and focused on AAC in the context of developmental communication disorders. Mateo graciously shared his experiences with us - including his journey with AAC, how AAC has impacted his life, what advice he would give to speech-language pathologists and communication partners more generally, and more. As an instructor, I really appreciated hearing his story, but perhaps more importantly, the students really benefited from Mateo speaking with the class. In their reflections, the students shared things such as how Mateo's story reinforced many of the concepts we discussed in class, how they didn't truly understand the barriers many AAC users face, and how he helped them to realize the importance of making AAC interventions fun and functional for children. I highly recommend Mateo. Working with Mateo from start to finish was a very straightforward process. I definitely plan on inviting him back in future semesters!

Emily Lorang, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Lingo Lab, Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University
She/HerEvent Organizer

This was my first time hearing directly from an AAC user about their experience, and it really, really touched me. Although I have always had this perspective toward people who use AAC, Mateo deepened my understanding.

Ryan Albuck
Graduate Student, Salus at Drexel UniversityAttendee

Mateo's passion for speaking and connecting with others on AAC is evident from the very beginning. He did a fantastic job tailoring the presentations to the different groups. The students connected with Mateo and loved his sense of humor. Having Mateo share stories about his experiences was equally informative and engaging. I hope to work with Mateo again in the future and have him connect with many more classrooms!

Makenzi Farmer, MA, CCC-SLP
Augmentative & Alternative Communication Consultant
EATON Regional Education Service AgencyEvent Organizer

Mateo's talk resonated with students, communication partners (peers and adults), and school administrators!

Laura Miller
Professional Learning Coach and Consultant, West KY Educational CooperativeEvent Organizer

Mateo Moreno - Avon, OH