#TalkingAAC 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is dramatically impacting the lives of all of us, including students and individuals with disabilities, by taking traditional resources and supports to a new level of accessibility and sophistication. AI technologies can help individuals with disabilities participate in educational and leisure experiences, access information, and communicate more effectively. This includes the direct use of AI tools as instructional and assistive technology. Additionally AI tools can be used by professionals to increase efficiency, elevate the creativity and quality of lesson plans and learning materials, and analyze research, evidence, and data to reflect on practices and improve outcomes.  
This session explores some of the ways that educational professionals can use AI in an everyday context, along with the implications, benefits, and challenges associated with the use of AI. In the session, participants will learn exactly what AI is, and what it is not. Participants will be introduced to a variety of educational, creative, and productivity tools that leverage AI, including some that are likely already available to them. We will explore ways that learners can utilize AI, including increasing access to educational and therapy resources, providing feedback and insights, and enhancing learner or worker productivity. Participants will also explore ways that they can capitalize on AI to raise their own productivity, create customized therapy materials, and support their own professional learning. Participants will learn about strategies to use AI to: -spend less time writing emails, reports, and notes -make learning materials more accessible, including auto generated Alt-Text -enhance slide decks for professional learning or for use with clients -support spelling and grammar for clients (or themselves!) -expand vocabulary with word prediction and autocomplete -create custom reading passages to address decoding, comprehension and fluency skills -create custom voices for AAC -generate images with words -organizational and executive function support -analyze and synthesize research and data -and more!
Finally, participants will delve into necessary considerations regarding the implementation of AI, including data privacy, security, AI bias, ethical considerations, and reliability. This session will not be your typical sit and get lecture. Participants will get up close with AI tools through hands-on demonstrations, experiencing firsthand how they can be applied in therapy sessions. The presenter will share real-world case studies showcasing successful AI integration into educational practices, highlighting challenges overcome and outcomes achieved. As a group, we will share our experiences, concerns, and ideas about adopting AI in speech therapy and collaborate on the creation of a resource everyone can use and reference in the future.