Joy Smiley Zabala, Ed.D., was a general and special educator who has spent over 25 years conducting professional development and training for students, families, education agencies, organizations, companies, and others across the U.S.A. and abroad to expand the use of assistive technology (AT) as a means to increase the communication, participation and productivity of people with disabilities. She received her B.A. in Education from the University of Florida, her M.Ed. from Florida Atlantic University, and her Ed.D. from the University of Kentucky with an emphasis on personnel preparation using distance education tools and strategies. She held the Assistive Technology Practitioner credential issued by the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). Dr. Zabala was a frequent presenter on AT decision-making, implementation, and evaluation of effectiveness. She presented often on how Universal Design for Learning (http://udlcenter.cast.org) and AT work together as complementary supports for student achievement and has also published on the topic. She was the developer of the SETT Framework, a collaborative decision-making tool (http://www.joyzabala.com/), a founding member of the QIAT Community and facilitator of the QIAT List (http://www.qiat.org), and a past-president of the Technology and Media Division (TAM) of the Council for Exceptional Children (http://www.tamcec.org/). She served on the Advisory Boards of the Family Center for Technology and Disability (http://www.fctd.info) and Bookshare (http://bookshare.org)

Kate and Amy are co-founders of SLP Nerdcast. Kate is a dually certified SLP / BCBA who works primarily as an "AAC Specialist." She owns a private practice with a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, augmentative alternative communication intervention and assessment, and consultation. Amy is an SLP who also works as an "AAC Specialist" in a public school setting. Amy's primary interests are AAC, typical language development, motor speech, phonology, data collection, collaboration, coaching, and communication partner training and support.