Purpose

This policy establishes standards for the use of artificial intelligence tools within clinical education programs in speech-language pathology. It ensures that AI-assisted workflows support the development of clinical competency without undermining the learning process, while maintaining compliance with HIPAA, FERPA, institutional academic integrity policies, and the standards set forth by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Scope

This policy applies to all graduate student clinicians, clinical supervisors, clinical fellowship (CF) mentors, and associated faculty who participate in or oversee clinical practicum experiences, externship placements, and clinical fellowship supervision within the program. It governs AI use in all clinical activities including evaluation, treatment, documentation, clinical log entries, reflection assignments, and case presentations.

Definitions

• AI Tool: Any software application that uses artificial intelligence, machine learning, or large language models to generate, summarize, analyze, or process text, clinical data, or other content.
• AI-Assisted Work: Any clinical documentation, treatment plan, reflection, case presentation, or related academic-clinical product for which AI tools were used in drafting, summarizing, formatting, or generating any portion of the content.
• Clinical Competency: The ability to independently perform clinical tasks, including assessment, treatment planning, documentation, and professional communication, at a level consistent with program standards and ASHA certification requirements.
• Clinical Log: The official record of clinical hours, activities, and supervisory feedback maintained by the student or clinical fellow as required for ASHA certification.
• Supervised Clinical Experience: Direct client contact and related professional activities conducted under the guidance of a qualified supervisor, as defined by ASHA certification standards.

Policy Statements

1. AI tools may be used as a learning aid within clinical education, but they shall not substitute for the development of independent clinical reasoning, professional writing, or decision-making skills required for ASHA certification.
2. All AI use in clinical practicum activities must be disclosed to the supervising clinician and documented in clinical logs prior to submission of any AI-assisted work product.
3. Supervisors must review and approve all AI-assisted clinical work before it is entered into any client record, submitted to a practicum site, or included in the student’s clinical portfolio.
4. Students and clinical fellows must demonstrate the ability to perform core clinical tasks, including documentation, treatment planning, and diagnostic reporting, without AI assistance as part of competency verification.
5. AI shall not be used to generate clinical clock hours, fabricate client interactions, or misrepresent the nature or extent of supervised clinical experience.

Approved Uses

• Using AI to research evidence-based intervention approaches and locate relevant clinical literature to inform treatment planning.
• Generating initial drafts of therapy materials, home programs, or patient education handouts using de-identified information, which the student then reviews and customizes under supervisor guidance.
• Requesting AI feedback on de-identified documentation drafts as a self-editing tool before submitting to the supervisor for review.
• Using AI to study clinical terminology, diagnostic frameworks, or assessment scoring procedures as a supplementary learning resource.
• Drafting de-identified case presentation outlines that the student substantively develops and presents independently.

Prohibited Uses

• Entering any client or patient identifying information, including names, dates of birth, medical record numbers, or site-specific details, into any AI tool that is not approved by the practicum site and covered by appropriate data protection agreements.
• Submitting AI-generated clinical documentation, SOAP notes, evaluation reports, or treatment plans as the student’s own work without disclosure and supervisor review.
• Using AI to complete clinical reflection assignments, self-assessments, or supervisory feedback responses that are designed to develop professional self-awareness and critical thinking.
• Generating or inflating clinical clock hours, session data, or competency ratings through AI-assisted fabrication.
• Using AI to produce diagnostic impressions, eligibility determinations, or clinical recommendations that the student has not independently formulated and the supervisor has not verified.
• Submitting AI-assisted work at any practicum site that prohibits AI use in its own institutional policies.

Data Protection Requirements

1. Students and supervisors must comply with all HIPAA and FERPA requirements applicable to the practicum site and the university. Client and student information shall not be entered into any public or unapproved AI tool.
2. Any AI tool used in connection with client data must be approved by both the university program and the practicum site. Site-specific data governance policies take precedence when more restrictive.
3. De-identification of all client information is required before any data is entered into AI tools. De-identification must remove names, dates, locations, record numbers, and any combination of details that could reasonably identify a client.
4. Students shall not store AI-generated clinical content containing client information on personal devices, cloud storage, or platforms outside the practicum site’s approved systems.

Disclosure Requirements

1. Students must disclose all AI use in clinical work to their assigned supervisor at the time of submission. Disclosure must specify the AI tool used, the task it was applied to, and the extent of AI involvement.
2. Supervisors shall document AI use disclosures in their supervisory records and address AI-related learning opportunities during supervisory conferences.
3. When a practicum site requires disclosure of AI use to clients, families, or interdisciplinary team members, students must comply with the site’s disclosure protocols.
4. Clinical fellowship mentors shall include a discussion of appropriate AI use as part of the CF orientation and document the fellow’s understanding of applicable policies.

Documentation Standards

1. All clinical logs must include a field or notation indicating whether AI tools were used in any associated clinical activity for that entry. The notation must identify the tool, the task, and the supervisor’s acknowledgment.
2. AI-assisted clinical documents must be marked with the notation: “AI-assisted draft; reviewed by [Student Name] and approved by [Supervisor Name], [Credentials], [Date].”
3. The supervising clinician’s signature on any AI-assisted document confirms that the content has been reviewed for clinical accuracy, appropriateness, and compliance with site and program standards.
4. Students shall maintain a cumulative AI use log for each practicum placement, available for review by the clinical education coordinator and accreditation reviewers upon request.

Compliance & Accountability

1. The Director of Clinical Education, in coordination with clinical supervisors and practicum site liaisons, is responsible for enforcing this policy.
2. Undisclosed use of AI in clinical work constitutes a violation of both this policy and the university’s academic integrity standards and may result in grade reduction, practicum remediation, clinical probation, or dismissal from the program.
3. Supervisors who become aware of undisclosed AI use must report it to the Director of Clinical Education within five business days.
4. All students, supervisors, and clinical fellowship mentors must complete training on this policy at the start of each academic year or upon entry into the program. Completion must be documented.
5. Competency verification checkpoints shall be conducted at midterm and final evaluation periods to confirm that students can perform required clinical tasks without AI assistance.

Review Schedule

This policy shall be reviewed annually by the Director of Clinical Education, the department’s academic integrity officer, and a committee including clinical supervisors and student representatives. Revisions shall be issued as needed in response to changes in ASHA certification standards, CAA accreditation requirements, institutional policies, or developments in AI technology.

Acknowledgment

I, ______________________________ (printed name), acknowledge that I have read, understand, and agree to comply with this policy governing AI use in clinical education activities.

Signature: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Role (check one): [ ] Graduate Student Clinician [ ] Clinical Supervisor [ ] Clinical Fellowship Mentor

University ID: ______________________________ Practicum Site(s): ______________________________

Supervisor/Director Signature: ______________________________ Date: ______________