Sheila Achermann, PhD
Sheila Achermann, PhD, works on expanding access to AAC across Tobii Dynavox's partner markets. Trained in neuroscience with a clinical background, she focuses on how AAC solutions are adopted, supported, and sustained over time. Her work centers on building strong partnerships and aligning clinical practice with local realities to support meaningful communication access across different regions.
MY SESSIONS
Outcomes from Transdisciplinary AAC Product Development
Voices of AAC users, their families, and professionals—together with scientific research—are central to effective AAC solution development. These sources of evidence identify unmet needs, prioritize features, and guide how challenges are addressed in speech-generating devices and communication software. At Tobii Dynavox, product development is transdisciplinary, integrating engineering, design, clinical, product management, and the lived experiences of AAC users and their support networks. Feedback from users, families, professionals, and research partners is systematically gathered and translated into product improvements through an iterative process of analysis, prioritization, and implementation. Decision-making balances user impact, feasibility, regulatory requirements, and long-term sustainability while keeping communication, independence, and participation at the center. The session illustrates this approach using examples from Tobii Dynavox products.