AAC Intervention - Supporting Communication Partners and AAC Users

Joanne Gerenser

Joanne Gerenser, Ph.D, began working at Eden II in 1982 as a speech therapist. She received her Master’s degree in Speech and Hearing at the Ohio State University and her Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Science at the City University of New York Graduate Center. She is an adjunct Assistant Professor at Brooklyn College as well as Penn State University. Dr. Gerenser is a member of the Scientific Advisory Council for the Organization for Autism Research. She is on the boards of Heaven’s Hands Community Services, the Interagency Council of New York, the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis, and the Staten Island Not-for-Profit Association. Dr. Gerenser has also co-authored the interactive CD-ROM entitled ‘Behavioral Programming for Children with Autism. She has authored several book chapters and articles on autism and developmental disabilities. She is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis. She sits on a number of Professional Advisory Boards for several programs serving children and adults with autism in the US and abroad. She has received numerous awards for her work with children and adults with autism, including the Nassau Suffolk Autism Lifetime Achievement Award, the Mosaic Foundation’s Educator of Excellence Award, the Elija Chariot Award, and the Lou Miller Business Leadership Award.

Amy Wonkka, MS, CCC-SLP, has worked as a speech language pathologist in the Northeast and Midwest. Prior to becoming an SLP, she worked for several years as a 1:1 paraprofessional and home service provider for individuals with complex communication needs. She has experience in home-based, public school, nonpublic school, and outpatient environments. Amy’s clinical interests include augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), autism and other related needs, typical language development, motor speech, phonology, data collection, collaboration, coaching, and communication partner training and support.

Judith Ursitti, CPA, is Vice President of Government Affairs for the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP). Prior to joining CASP, she served as Director of State Government Affairs at Autism Speaks for more than a decade, working to pass and implement autism insurance reform legislation in states across the nation. Her advocacy has included legislation relating to insurance coverage of AAC for people with autism, training of those who support AAC users, and accommodations for people who use AAC in educational as well as home and community-based settings. Her 18-year-old son, Jack, is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and a severe intellectual disability. Jack has utilized AAC since the age of 8.