The AT Center is a service initiative of The College of New Jersey’s School of Education. The AT Center has received funding from the NJ Department of Education, Office of Special Education to provide resources and training for FREE to teachers and families so they can make informed decisions about assistive technology to best serve children and youth who have disabilities. It is dedicated to improving the educational outcomes for children with disabilities by facilitating professional development opportunities to New Jersey’s educational community.
The AT Center offers a wide variety of professional development workshops, including customized professional learning experiences to fit your district’s needs.
The AT Center is a Registered New Jersey Professional Development Provider and all of our Professional Learning Opportunities are FREE through generous funding from the NJ DOE, Office of Special Education.
Who We Are
Dr. Matthew Hall is one of the co-faculty leads for the Assistive Technology Center at TCNJ. Dr. Hall is an Associate Professor in the Special Education, Language, and Literacy Department at The College of New Jersey and also serves as the Co-Director of the TCNJ Literacy Advancement Project (LAP). He has worked with classroom teachers around the country to facilitate professional development related to literacy instruction. Prior to joining TCNJ, he worked as a literacy coach and a public school teacher in New Jersey. He holds teaching certifications in General Education, Special Education, and Education for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Contact Dr. Hall
Dr. Sarah Monaco is one of the co-faculty leads for the Assistive Technology Center at TCNJ. Dr. Monaco is an Associate Professor in the Special Education, Language, and Literacy Department at The College of New Jersey and also serves as the Director of the Center for Assistive Technology and Inclusive Education Studies (CATIES). Dr. Monaco’s work and research focus on working with students with complex disabilities and individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Prior to TCNJ, Dr. Monaco was a special education teacher and alternate assessment coach in New York City Public Schools. Contact Dr. Monaco
Vanessa Lombardo, M.Ed., ATP, is the Project Director of the Assistive Technology Center at TCNJ. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with educators and families to bridge the gap between students’ needs and the technology that can help them thrive. Her expertise spans various aspects of assistive technology, from evaluating the needs of individuals to implementing solutions that improve communication, mobility, and learning experiences of all learners. She is deeply committed to empowering individuals to live more independent and fulfilling lives through the use of innovative technologies. She is a passionate voice in the community, striving to break down barriers and ensure that every individual has the opportunity to succeed. She holds a Master’s degree in Special Education and is a RESNA certified Assistive Technology Professional (ATP). Contact Vanessa Lombardo
Madison Bronstein, M.S. CCC-SLP, ATP, is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) by training with a specialization in assistive technology. She earned her Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) certificate in 2024. Her experience working at iHope Academy in Manhattan, NY, a specialized school for children with brain based disorders, ignited her passion for AAC and AT. She has worked closely with teams of OTs, PTs, parents, special educators, Hearing specialists, and Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVIs) to provide AT solutions for children with a variety of diagnoses, including writing letters of medical necessity to help children and families obtain dedicated speech generating devices. Working with the AT team, she has conducted training for paraprofessionals and other team members on how to best facilitate use of communication devices, software programs, and other AT. In the public school setting, working as a district SLP, she has advocated for and expanded communication software programs available for the district as well as other digital resources to help support language development and literacy skills. She is an annual attendee of the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) conference. With a passion for improving communication and access for individuals, she is excited to be a part of the team at TCNJ helping to support education, implementation, and continued use of assistive technology for students across the state of New Jersey. Contact Madison Bronstein.
Contact Us
Please connect with us for professional development requests and questions.