Testimonials

Event Organizers

Hannah was a fantastic guest lecturer for my graduate course on AAC. She was easy to communicate with, quick to respond, and very professional throughout the process. She created an informative and well-organized presentation and promptly shared the slides with me so I could distribute them to my students. Her insights were incredibly valuable, and she effectively answered all questions. My students especially appreciated hearing directly from an AAC user, which added a meaningful perspective to our discussion. I would highly recommend Hannah as a guest lecturer for any course on AAC, particularly when covering the assessment of AAC users.

Adrianna Noyes, PhD, CCC-SLP
Assistant Professor
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

We had Sara Young come visit our colloquium, and she was an excellent speaker and advocate for AAC users. I enjoyed her personal experiences and descriptions of her life.

Rebecca DeLaMare Wood, MS Ed
Vice President I The Graduate Special Education Research Collaborative
Penn State University

Hannah presented to our group about AAC etiquette. She had such an engaging presentation! Hannah came very prepared and sent slides in advance of her presentation. She also shared great information while fielding questions from our group!

Beth Frick Semmler, PhD, CCC-SLP
AAC Research and Outreach Coordinator
RERC on AAC, Penn State University

The impact of hearing Anastasia's story first-hand was incredibly meaningful.

Joanna Holzman
AAC Implementation Coach
Chicago Public Schools

“The Patient-Provider Communication Network (PPCN) holds bi-monthly forum meetings to discuss issues, share information, and network among stakeholders in patient-provider communication in healthcare. USSAAC has been a longtime supporter and champion of the PPCN, sharing a mission of keeping the voices of AAC users central to their own care in medical contexts. The AAC Speaker Connection was an excellent way to do just that, and we were delighted that Meggin Nunamaker accepted our invitation to present at our forum meeting in September 2022. Her presentation encompassed her unique personal experiences and perspectives as both patient and trained speech-language pathologist who uses AAC. She gave practical tips and recommendations and answered a variety of questions during the Q and A, which was an added bonus. Having Meggin as a presenter brought a needed vitality to the forum discussions and made a real impact on everyone in attendance. We are so grateful for Meggin's contributions to the Patient-Provider Communication Forum and for the support of the AAC Speaker Connection and USSAAC!”

Rachel Santiago
Tami Altschuler

Noel presented to our group on his experience with AAC and his literacy journey. We really enjoyed having Noel speak to us! He has a lot of really interesting life experiences and perspectives!

Beth Frick Semmler, PhD, CCC-SLP
AAC Research and Outreach Coordinator
RERC on AAC, Penn State University

Pam Kennedy spoke on the USSAAC webinar panel. Maintaining Communication Access, Encouraging Disaster Preparedness: A conversation on emergency preparedness and people with communication disabilities. She was awesome, along with panelists Marci Roth, Shaylin Sluzalis and Germán Parodi. Pam shared personal experiences and her unique perspectives and expertise. Thank you Pam and thanks to the Speaker Connection. Check our her video https://aac-learning-center.psu.edu/2007/06/07/disaster-preparedness-for-people-with-complex-communication-needs-a-personal-perspective/

Sarah and Liz, USSAAC Disaster Relief co-chairs

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 Agency

My students really enjoyed hearing about Kevin's experiences with AAC over the course of his life.

Courtney E. Venker, PhD, CCC-SLP
Associate Professor, Communicative Sciences & Disorders
Michigan State University

The presentation led my students to re-evaluate the assumptions they make about communication and broadened their perspectives. I am SO thankful for the AAC Speaker Connection website.

Courtney E. Venker, PhD, CCC-SLP
Associate Professor, Communicative Sciences & Disorders
Michigan State University

Attendees

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 University

As a first year graduate student, my exposure to AAC is limited. We were lucky enough to have Endever* prepare a powerful presentation discussing their personal experience with AAC and how their communication has evolved over the years. Endever* touches on topics such as inclusivity and accessibility to motivate others to delve deeper into the world of AAC. I learned so much from today's discussion and am grateful that Endever* took the time to come speak to our class!

Madison Gluck
Graduate Student, Pace University

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 University

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 reflections

Good morning. I just wanted to jot down for you just how impressive your performance was last night. You absolutely crushed it. Your answers were well thought out, and engaging. You were very approachable and polished in your delivery and language. [Your opponent] came off as another former school official that's not plugged into the realities (economic, racial, neuro specific) that many families face in AA county. Her resume is impressive, but you are much more impressive as a voice of empathy and for social change. Yours is much needed in the debate over which direction to take schools in the midst of social change, justice system overhauls and a worldwide pandemic. Equity and equality for all!

Rick C.

During my first year as a doctoral student at Penn State University. Our team of faculty and graduate level students interested in AAC research met weekly for colloquium. The meetings provided the chance to share our latest research and to hear from experts in the field of AAC. This past year we had the opportunity to speak with a few individuals who use AAC during our colloquiums. Their use of high-tech speech generating devices and unaided alternative communication was robust and made a lasting impact on my future pursuits of furthering my AAC related research. I was amazed at the combination of prerecorded messages and language used on the spot over Zoom. These individuals were skillful, patient and flexible in the moment. Listening to these individuals allowed me to glimpse a possible future filled with rich language use for the students in the MDS classroom I previously supported.

Hearing from the people who use AAC is essential for other stakeholders in the field to help build a greater understanding about their unique needs and perspectives. I valued the interactions I had with these individuals during our colloquium meetings. I can only hope that the students I used to work with become competent and confident communicators with the assistance of AAC in their futures.

Tara McCarty, M.A., CCC-SLP
Pennsylvania State University
State College, PA

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 reflections

Learning about AAC via Zoom was challenging as we were deprived of the benefits of attending class in person. However, little did we know we would have gained so much more than we thought we lost. We had the pleasure of having a guest speaker come to class one day - a man who uses an AAC device as his primary method of communication. Not only was this speaker one of the most adventurous people I've ever met, but he was one of the most inspiring. He came to our class to discuss his day-to-day routines as well as his hobbies, interests, and past experiences. Meeting the speaker was my favorite class of the summer semester because we were able to ask him personal questions along with getting to know how great he was!

Cheyna Mulligan
Graduate Student at Pace University
New York, NY