This course offers a comprehensive introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) for school-based SLPs. You will explore foundational concepts, practical applications for school settings, and ethical decision-making frameworks aligned with ASHA's Code of Ethics. You'll walk through case studies and demonstrations that highlight strategies to incorporate AI tools for lesson planning, data collection, and workload management. At the same time, you'll learn to critically evaluate the limitations and considerations for using AI, including ensuring privacy, recognizing bias, and maintaining the central role of clinical judgment. By the end of the course, you will be prepared to integrate AI into your practice responsibly and effectively to enhance student outcomes and workload management.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• Define AI and key related vocabulary in the context of speech-language pathology 
• Identify AI tools and strategies that support SLP tasks such as documentation, data collection, and student engagement 
• Apply ASHA’s Code of Ethics to AI use, including privacy, bias mitigation, and responsible implementation
• Evaluate AI-generated outputs for accuracy, bias, and ethical concerns related to speech-language interventions
• Explain the concept of AI hallucinations and assess when AI may be unsuitable for clinical decision-making
• Use prompt engineering and critically assess AI tools for relevance and appropriateness

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Practical and Ethical Integration of AI: A Chat With Presenters, which will take place on October 29, 2025, 1–2 p.m. ET. Presenters will answer your questions on incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) tools for lesson planning, data collection, workload management, and more. Have questions on considerations for using AI? This is your chance to get answers from SLPs who are using these tools effectively in schools. Learn more.

Ethics Professional Development Requirement

This course counts toward the ASHA certification maintenance professional development requirement for Ethics. See more courses that count toward this requirement or read more about professional development requirements for certification maintenance.

Presenter Information

Kellyn Hall, PhD, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) is a clinician, researcher, and author with over 30 years of experience working in a variety of medical settings. She is currently a professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at North Carolina Central University, where she teaches medical speech-language pathology courses. Her recent published works have focused on culturally responsive practices in dysphagia management and how to work more effectively and collectively toward racial, social, and health equity in our field. She is CO-PI on a FRAP grant to investigate AI's potential to revolutionize student learning and educational practices.

Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation
• Employed at NCCU 
• CO-PI on FRAP grant on AI and student learning

Sarah Bishop, MA, CCC-SLP (she/they) is a school-based speech-language pathologist based in San Diego, California. She is the President-Elect of the California Speech Hearing Association (CSHA). Sarah has over 10 years of experience working across all grade levels in public schools. She is a member of her school union’s collective bargaining team and is also a school site union representative. In addition to her school-based work, Sarah runs a small private practice where she provides in-home early intervention speech therapy. Sarah holds a bachelor's degree in art history from the University of California, Irvine, and a master's degree in speech-language pathology from San Diego State University.

Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation
• Fallbrook Union Elementary School District employee
• Bishop Speech Therapy employee
• California Speech-Hearing Association (CSHA) President-Elect
• ASHA Asian Pacific Islander Speech-Language-Hearing Caucus (APISLH Caucus) member

MariBeth Plankers, MS, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) is a speech-language pathologist and assistive technology consultant. She is a service provider in the areas of augmentative and alternative communication, autism spectrum disorder, reading and written language, Universal Design for Learning, and assistive technology. MariBeth is a national presenter for the Bureau of Education and Research. She is currently a consultant with the Minnesota Department of Education. MariBeth has worked in the public school setting as a speech-language pathologist, autism spectrum educational consultant, and assistive technology professional. Over the past 11 years, MariBeth taught at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) in the areas of augmentative and alternative communication, social cognition, assistive technology (AT), and telehealth. At the university, MariBeth served as the Director for the Regional Assistive Technology Center. Operating under a federal grant, MariBeth conducted AT assessments and interventions for Minnesota residents as a clinical supervisor at MSUM. MariBeth loves her time on the Minnesota waters and being with her family!

Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Leslie W. Johnson, PhD, CCC-SLP, is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Her research interests include medical speech pathology, specifically related to adult neurogenics and the influences of cultural background, as well as higher education. She has scholarly activity and clinical work in a variety of settings and populations, including traumatic brain injury, stroke, dysphagia, artificial airway, ethical considerations, and best practices for SLPs when using AI.

Disclosures:

• Salary from NCCU 
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation
• CO-PI on FRAP grant on AI and student learning
• Royalties from CE modules with NSS and CSP
• Member of ASHA, NBASLH, NCSHLA
• VP Membership and ASHA CEA for NCSHLA

Assessment Type

Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

To earn continuing education credit, you must complete the learning assessment by 11:59 p.m. ET on the end date below.

Program History and CE Information

Content origination date: July 2025
End date: August 20, 2030

This course is offered for 0.2 ASHA CEUs (Introductory level, Related area)