05/01/2026
Congratulations to our Professor Dr. Muttiah!
We are honored to present Dr. Nimisha Muttiah from the SUNY Cortland Communication Disorders & Sciences Department with the Special Friend Award.
Dr. Muttiah and her team of students partner with the Cortland Preschool to support the use of Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) systems. Through this collaboration, preschoolers are building stronger communication skills. They are learning new ways to express their wants and needs, connect with their peers, and form friendships in the classroom and on the playground.
Alison Bryan, Racker Speech Language Pathologist, shares:
“For the past 3 years graduate students from Dr. Muttiah’s AAC Course have come to Cortland preschool to work with some of our youngest communicators. The graduate students gain experience and confidence with AAC, our staff learn and get hands on opportunities with the most recent technology and assessment tools, and our AAC users receive the latest evidence-based practices. It’s a partnership that is a WIN-WIN!”
Alison also reflects on a memorable moment:
“The graduate students were working with a little four year old boy in our program who had a device. He used the device to ask for basic needs, but not to interact with the other children. This bright little boy ‘didn’t have any friends.’ After completing their assessments, the graduate students began to train a peer, a three year old girl who did not have a communication disability, on a device. They taught her how to use it. They then worked together with the children, and these two kids began to spontaneously communicate on the devices. This little boy was so excited to have a friend to talk to and play with. It was a short time later, when we saw these two children on the playground. They were in their Flintstone Cars, with their devices propped up and balanced on the steering wheel, just two friends talking back and forth on the playground while they were driving!”
Thank you, Dr. Muttiah. You are truly deserving of the Special Friend Award. We are proud to honor you during Dr. Racker Giving Week. Your partnership reflects Dr. Racker’s legacy and a shared commitment to building a world where everyone knows they belong.
