About the Author
Hannah Foley, B.A. is an Assistive Technology (AT) Specialist concentrating in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She focuses on AAC training and implementation to facilitate collaboration and effective implementation of AAC among all members of support teams of individuals with complex communication needs. Hannah has presented on these topics at universities, school districts, and national conferences. She is currently the Content Creator at Forbes AAC where she develops training and implementation assets to facilitate effective implementation of AAC systems by all AAC stakeholders. Formerly, Hannah was the PRC-Saltillo Product and Service Development Intern where she collaborated to develop training and implementation supports, as well as an Intern at Technology & Language Center, PC where she implemented communication and language therapeutic services to clients with complex communication needs. Hannah is passionate about providing quality training and implementation resources to support teams to facilitate the integration of AAC into all of life’s activities to maximize the communicative skill development and meaningful engagement of those with complex communication needs.
Hannah earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and received her Graduate Certificate in AT with concentration in AAC from the University of Illinois Chicago. She is a member of the United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC) and is a member of USSAAC’s Awareness Committee.
Introduction
College is not just a place to receive higher education – it is also a place where young people grow and start their adulthood journey. However, those who use AAC are underrepresented in higher education institutions for many reasons, but a significant reason for such underrepresentation is the unique challenges that attending college, especially away from home, presents to this population. As someone who has completed collegiate studies away from home, I have experienced these challenges firsthand and developed strategies to overcome such challenges which allowed me to thrive in college and beyond. Check out the video to hear about a few of the challenges of those who use AAC in higher education and practical strategies to overcome them!