SLPs Talk Tech
Welcome to SLPs Talk Tech, where we explore innovations in AI and communication sciences and disorders (CSD). On this podcast, we talk with researchers, clinicians, innovators, and allied professionals who are shaping the future of clinical practice, education, and technology in the field.
This podcast is hosted by a human, based on conversations with humans. We tried AI voices for a bit, but I couldn’t capture these conversations the way I intended. Rather than ditch the project entirely, I decided to revisit a history I had almost forgotten - twenty years ago, when I worked at my college radio station. Before I became a speech-language pathologist, I thought I was going to work in media education. While pursuing my B.A. in Communications, I practically lived at my college radio station, WMUA 91.1 FM (UMass, Amherst). I hosted a live radio show, created syndicated content, and briefly served as Program Director. Trying to put together an AI-voiced podcast quickly became more work than returning to an old but familiar routine - mic’d up, headphones on, hit record.
Every episode is designed for actionable takeaways. If you’re a clinician, educator, or practitioner, the hope is that when you finish listening, you’ll have a practical idea, tool, or strategy you can try right away - on your computer, in your clinic, or in your classroom.
We cover everything from AI in therapy to new tech tools and emerging research, with insights meant to be practical, thought-provoking, and grounded in real-world practice.
Tune in to stay curious, inspired, and ready to put innovation to work.
SLPs Talk Tech
Introducing SLPs Talk Tech Podcast
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Coming soon, SLPs Talk Tech is your guide to the intersection of AI and emerging technology in speech-language pathology and communication sciences and disorders (CSD). Hosted by Leila Denna Staiger, a practicing speech-language pathologist and AAC consultant, the podcast brings you conversations with clinicians, researchers, and innovators shaping the future of communication support.
Each episode explores how SLPs can navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, making informed decisions about integrating digital innovations into clinical practice.
Subscribe to never miss an episode and gain critical insights into the evolving role of tech in CSD.
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Welcome to SLPs Talk Tech, a podcast for clinicians, researchers, educators, and innovators exploring how AI and emerging technology tools are reshaping communication sciences and disorders. I'm your host, Leila Denna Staiger, and the founder of SLPs Talk Tech. SLP stands for Speech Language Pathologist. SLPs are licensed healthcare providers that evaluate and treat speech, language, communication, and swallowing disorders across the lifespan. Before we get started, I want to share how this podcast and the SLPs TalkTech platform began, because understanding the story behind it clarifies why speech language pathologists talking about AI and emerging technology makes a whole lot of sense.
It started with skeptical excitement about how AI was possibly going to allow me to listen, dictate, and synthesize my day so I wouldn't be looking at my phone or computer so much. I began exploring generative AI alongside the general public as we collectively were able to generate original content using AI in seconds. It was all fun and games until it became clear new tools, new features, new headlines about AI's magical promise, and yet there was relatively little information about how these tools could actually improve how we work and communicate. I kept thinking, this innovation is incredible, but if SLPs are gonna adopt this technology, we need AI education and guidance. So what started out as excitement about potential and possibilities began to feel like I was drinking from a fire hose. Clinicians were beginning to see marketing for new tools without much context or testing. Educators were being told to integrate AI without training. AT and AAC specialists like myself were navigating evolving possibilities without a roadmap. But there was really one question I kept coming back to. How do we make sense of all of this in a way that supports real people who struggle to communicate and they're committed therapists?
That's when I began drafting a solution. I spoke at conferences and conventions in my discipline, demystifying AI for my colleagues, sharing implementation strategies I had refined, and providing a framework for how to continue these conversations after the conference sessions ended. Making sense of it all became the foundation of SLPs Talk Tech, a space for speech-language pathologists and related professionals to learn together. To move from curiosity to clarity and to understand not only what these tools do, but what they mean for the people we serve. This podcast goal is simple, to empower you with an understanding of AI, its power and its risks, and to share practical tools, strategies and critical perspectives that you can bring into your work. Every episode, we'll be talking about technology changing our world of work, from AI-powered tools and accessibility features to assistive technology in evolving clinical workflows. You'll hear from researchers, clinicians, and innovative leaders who are designing, studying, and questioning the future of communication in the AI era. If you're ready to get curious and think critically about what's new and what's next in communication sciences and disorders, you're in the right place - Welcome.