Artificial Intelligence, Languages, and the Speech-Language Pathologist
Published December 2023 in the ISHA Voice
By Sharon Rzyski
Sharon is a co-chair of the Multicultural Issues Committee.
As school-based speech-language pathologists, we create activities that are appropriate for our students and work on targeted areas of need. However, with a busy schedule and numerous students on a caseload, it can be quite demanding to find viable activities for multiple students of different ages and levels with varying articulation, voice, fluency, and language disorders. How can we come up with activities that are suitable for our students when we are pressed for time? Does something exist that can help us create quick usable materials to help our students?
When working in a school environment, there is always the need to produce relevant curriculum materials to support what students are learning in the classroom. Online materials or existing materials that one may have do not always coordinate with what students are studying. Speech-language pathologists need to dig deeper into what is relevant and easily acquired.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic in general, and an even hotter topic for speech-language pathologists. What is AI? AI is an approach that harnesses the power of data to create tools that can enhance what clinicians are focusing on clinically as well as to promote the health and success of our clients (Liss & Berisha, 2020). In our daily lives, we rely on voice-activated assistants such as Alexa, social media, and YouTube. AI is used in other online activities such as shopping and can enhance our lives in a positive manner.
However, how can one use AI to enhance speech and language therapy with students in schools or in other settings? For example, in Romania, many children may struggle to attain access to the resources that they need. Children with disabilities and speech needs especially struggle to gain access to these resources. Timlogo is an interactive, digital speech development tool that uses AI to analyze a child’s ability to produce sounds as well as diagnose varying speech issues. The tool then recommends the best course of activities to help with the issue. Timlogo’s activities are accompanied by fun games with cartoon characters. Creating games that revolve around digitally helping a child ease anxiety in general when working on articulation, for example.
Timlogo’s activities are based on the Romanian language. However, other AI tools such as Chat GPT, is considered generative AI. Generative AI uses indexed material from the past several years of content on the internet. Chat GPT completes tasks such as: Summarizing articles or stories, translating material, formulating word lists and other stimuli for therapy, creating study guides, and in the medical setting creating potential plans of care (Young, L).
I easily created a Chat GPT (on the web, not as an app) account and typed in these prompts: “Create a list of 20 initial /r/ words in Spanish” and “Write a five to six sentence paragraph in Spanish with three open ended comprehension questions.” The results were efficient and were quite amazing. Of course, my questions were quite general, but this appears to be only the beginning for myself and for all of us as clinicians. This technology is onto something helpful, reliable and will prove to be an efficient tool for all of us that want our students/patients/clients to improve their speech and language skills over time. How will you use AI in your future practice?
References:
(Liss, J. & Verisha, B., 2020). How will artificial intelligence reshape speech-language pathology and practice in the future? ASHA Journals Academy: https://academy.pubs.asha.org/2020/08/how-will-artificial-intelligence-reshape-speech-language-pathology-services-and-practice-in-the-future/
How AI is helping children overcome their speech disabilities: https://news.microsoft.com/europe/features/how-ai-is-helping-children-overcome-their-speech-disabilities/
(Young, L.). How to use chat GPT for speech therapy. https://eatspeakthink.com/use-chat-gpt-for-speech-therapy/
Sharon Rzyski is a bilingual Spanish speaking speech-language pathologist who has spent more than 23 years in the public schools. She currently works at Mundelein High School, and three schools in Mundelein School District 75.
Disclaimer: ISHA does not endorse any products, websites, or resources mentioned in this article. Clinicians should use their clinical judgment to determine the appropriateness of a product, resource, or website for their caseloads.
