Mateo Moreno has used AAC since the age of 4 and currently uses a Saltillo NovaChat 8 with Wordpower 108 as his primary AAC. Today, he's a confident young adult eager to talk with new people and spread awareness about AAC, disability and inclusion. He enjoys talking with families and professionals about his experiences. He served as keynote speaker for the #TalkingAAC Conference in 2022 and presented at ATIA in 2024. He presents to undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of education and speech-language pathology nationally to share his story about his AAC journey, recommendations for communication partners, his pet peeves and what it's like being the only AAC user in the room. Since January 2023, he’s visited classrooms to present to over 1,200 students ranging from kindergarten to 6th grade to talk openly about AAC, disability, inclusion and just plain kindness! In addition to presenting, Mateo enjoys mentoring learners to promote communication and help build the confidence of children, adolescents and young adults. He meets with other AAC users virtually and in person. He recently worked as an AAC mentor at Talking with Technology Camp in Empire, CO. In addition to his work as a speaker and mentor, he works at a nursing home. Mateo is a member of the U.S. Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. He serves on the AAC Awareness Committee and is an active participant in the organization’s Speaker Connection.
