NSSEO District Coaches Tara Hanson and Kim Wimer sit down with Kelly Fonner and Sayard Bass to discuss their upcoming presentation at the NSSEO Jan 5th Institute Day titled Beyond the Checklist: Applying QIAT for Real-World AT Implementation. NSSEO and member district staff can click here to register. Kelly Fonner is a special educator and AT consultant who has been a para-educator, teacher, instructional media specialist, assistive technology specialist in EI, K-12, university, and statewide settings. Kelly has presented in the field of AT/AAC for over 40 years across the US and internationally. She is a leadership member of Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology (QIAT), WI AAC Network, an ATIA Conference Adviser, and is a co-author of the QIAT books. You can find out more information about Kelly and her services at www.kellyfonner.com. Sayard Bass is a Speech Pathologist and Assistive Technology Professional with the Southwest Cook County Cooperative near Chicago, where she built and leads the cooperative's AT program supporting 11 districts. She also teaches in the Assistive Technology Certificate Program at UIC and in AAC coursework at the College of DuPage. Sayard recently joined the QIAT leadership team, has collaborated nationally on QIAT and QIAT-PS initiatives, presents at conferences across the country, and was honored as a Joy Zabala Fellow in 2024. She believes deeply in sharing and teaching as essential parts of learning. Find out more about QIAT and the resources mentioned in this podcast here.