How I Use AI as an SLP to Save Time and Improve Therapy

1. Writing and Refining Goals

• AI helps me reword goals to ensure they are clear, measurable, and specific while aligning with student needs

• One of the most useful ways I’ve used AI is by inputting a student’s report summary and asking it to:

  • Suggest relevant goals based on identified strengths and weaknesses.

  • Justify why these goals are appropriate, often citing evidence-based practices or research-backed approaches.

  • Offer alternative wording to match IEP standards while staying student-centered.

• Fact-checking is always necessary—AI isn’t perfect. But it’s a great way to get the ball rolling when drafting goals or modifying objectives.

2. Creating Social Stories for Specific Scenarios

• Many students benefit from personalized social stories, but writing them from scratch takes time.

• I use AI by giving it a scenario (e.g., “A student gets frustrated when they lose a game”) and asking it to generate a simple, structured story.

• AI-created stories often include:

  • A clear problem ("Sometimes, we don’t win games.")

  • An emotional response ("This might make us feel upset.")

  • A coping strategy ("We can take deep breaths and say, 'Good game!'")

• I always tweak the wording to fit the student’s language level and needs, but AI helps speed up the process and ensures I don’t miss key elements.

3. Analyzing Progress Data

• Tracking student progress takes a lot of time, and AI helps me organize and analyze data more efficiently.

• I input session notes and ask AI to:

  • Summarize progress over time.

  • Suggest adjustments to therapy based on observed data.

• AI also helps draft progress note summaries, which I then review and refine before submitting.

4. Generating Therapy Ideas

• If I’m struggling to keep a student engaged, I use AI to find new activities, games, or strategies to make therapy more interactive.

• Some examples of how I use AI for therapy ideas:

  • For articulation: “Give me 10 fun ways to work on final consonant deletion with a kindergarten student.”

  • For language: “Suggest a hands-on activity for teaching irregular past tense verbs to a second grader.”

  • For AAC users: “What are some interactive ways to teach core words like ‘want’ and ‘go’?”

• AI helps me think outside the box and keeps therapy sessions fresh.

The AI Tools I Use

• ChatGPT – My go-to for goal wording, social stories, and therapy ideas.

• Co-Pilot – This is the AI tool my school uses. I’ve used it for documentation support and to help draft emails to parents, especially when I need to strike the right tone, whether it’s sympathetic, professional, or encouraging.

• Gemini – I’ve tested it out for brainstorming and refining materials.

Final Thoughts

AI doesn’t replace clinical judgment, but it makes the behind-the-scenes work of being an SLP easier. It helps with wording, generates ideas, and organizes data—giving me more time to focus on what matters most: helping students communicate.

Do you use AI in your practice? I’d love to hear how!

**Important Reminder:
Never input a student’s personal or identifiable information into any AI tool. Always protect student privacy and follow your district’s data security policies.