Journal article
An AI tutorial for speech and language therapists: translating concepts from the AI literature into accessible knowledge and clinically relevant applications
- Abstract:
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Background: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly discussed as a tool that can support speech and language therapy (SLT). However, clinical adoption of AI requires improved AI literacy among clinicians. AI is a rapidly evolving and often inconsistently defined field that can be difficult to navigate. Despite the definition provided by the EU AI Act, AI terminology can feel abstract for non-technical readers. Aims: To provide a foundational understanding of AI tailored for SLTs, by translating complex concepts into accessible language and organising them across three levels: (i) AI techniques (how AI works); (ii) AI capabilities (what AI can do) and (iii) clinical applications (how AI can support SLT).
Methods: Thistutorial isinformed by foundational AIliterature, established AItaxonomies,relevant SLT literature and regulatory and ethical guidelines. Clinical analogies are used to explain technical concepts, with additional technical detail signposted where relevant. Existing and conceptual examples illustrate the relevance of AI across paediatric SLT practice.
Main contribution: This tutorial provides: (i) a clinician-focussed interpretation of the EU AI Act definition; (ii) an organisation of key AI concepts into techniques, capabilities and clinical applications; (iii) a production-line model for mapping clinical needs to AI design choices and (iv) a practice-focussed discussion of ethical and regulatory considerations.
Conclusion: AI is best understood as a set of techniques that enable specific capabilities, which in turn support clinical applications. This tutorial promotes the safe, ethical and accountable use of AI as a tool that can support rather than replace clinicians.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
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- Files:
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(Preview, Version of record, pdf, 2.7MB, Terms of use)
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- Publisher copy:
- 10.1111/1460-6984.70201
Authors
- Publisher:
- Wiley
- Journal:
- International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders More from this journal
- Volume:
- 61
- Issue:
- 2
- Article number:
- e70201
- Publication date:
- 2026-02-06
- Acceptance date:
- 2026-02-01
- DOI:
- EISSN:
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1460-6984
- ISSN:
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1368-2822
- Language:
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English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
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2365975
- Local pid:
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pubs:2365975
- Deposit date:
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2026-02-02
- ARK identifier:
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Oliveira-Buckley et al
- Copyright date:
- 2026
- Rights statement:
- © 2026 The Author(s). International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
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