Alyssa Hillary Zisk

Dr. Alyssa Hillary Zisk (they/them) is the AAC Research team lead at AssistiveWare. They completed their Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience at the University of Rhode Island in 2021, working on brain computer interfaces for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Their AAC research with AssistiveWare includes work with large anonymous language use data collected from AAC users and a study of terminology preferences among a variety of stakeholders. They are also a regular collaborator with Dr. Amy Donaldson’s Autism & Social Communication Lab, where they address AAC use and relevant speech experiences for autistic people who use both speech and AAC. Dr. Zisk uses their experience as a part-time AAC user and their community connections to other AAC users to guide their research, aiming to address both practical and theoretical concerns that matter to AAC users. They are also on the admin team of the Facebook group, “Ask Me, I’m an AAC User!”

Disclosures:

Financial:

Dr. Zisk is an AAC researcher with AssistiveWare. Their time on the proposal and presentation is funded by AssistiveWare. They receive occasional external speaking fees, including from NWACS, USSAAC, and ASAN. The session is not about AssistiveWare’s products.

Nonfinanicial:

Dr. Zisk is on the editorial board for Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture, the admin team for “Ask Me, I’m an AAC User”, and the advisory council of CommunicationFIRST.