Meet Your Dedicated Team
At Forbes AAC, we recognize the value of having individual points of contact while working through the process of procuring an AAC device. We believe it is critical to connect you with a team that specializes in your local region. For this reason, we have teams of Assistive Technology Specialists and Funding Coordinators to manage specific geographic regions of the country.
Laura D. Hoffman, BSChE, MSEd, ATP - Assistive Technology Specialist
Laura is the Assistive Technology Specialist handling the state territory of Missouri, Kansas, and Southern Illinois. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. She began her career in assistive technology at the Rehabilitation Institute of Pittsburgh, where she worked as a Rehabilitation Engineering Specialist and then as the Manager of the Rehabilitation Engineering Department.
Laura finished her masters at George Mason University with a focus on Assistive Technology through their School of Education.
Most recently, Laura worked as an Assistive Technology Practitioner (ATP) for Missouri Assistive Technology (MoAT) (Federal Tech Act program in MO) where she provided AT support for all areas of AT including: AAC, Alternative Access, Aids for Daily Living, and Educational Support.
She has shared her knowledge of AT by presenting from Pennsylvania to Missouri to EYWA Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea, lecturing on a wide range of topics, including Universal Design for Learning to Alternative Access for On-line Gaming. Laura was even featured on the “Big Purple Blob” podcast which is a collective of professional coaches that support Foreign Service Families around the globe.
In her free time, Laura is either visiting her three grown sons, who are spread across the country, at the gym, or at the end of a tow rope, waterskiing behind her boat.

If you are interested in products or services, you can reach Laura by calling or email:
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phone 419.589.7688 ext 202 or direct 573.615.3693
Leonardo Linares - Funding Specialist
Leo just joined the Forbes AAC team! As a Funding Specialist, he works closely with caregivers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and other team members to get clients the equipment they need. Leo is experienced in procuring funding throughout various regions of the country; he is an expert in processing authorizations and claims for Medicaid, managed care plans, private insurances and waiver programs.
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Leo and Laura work together to ensure that their clients get the AAC devices and accessories they need, as efficiently as possible.
If you have any questions about funding or eligibility, you can reach Leo by phone or email:
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phone 419.589.7688 ext 226
