AI in School-Based Therapy Planning: Balancing Efficiency with Ethics

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making its way into schools, offering new tools that can streamline tasks, reduce paperwork, and spark fresh ideas for therapy planning. For school-based occupational, physical, and speech therapists, this technology has the potential to make day-to-day responsibilities more efficient, freeing up time to focus on what matters most: your students!

However, efficiency alone isn’t enough. To use AI responsibly, therapists must balance innovation with ethics, professional judgment, and a strong commitment to student privacy.

How can AI help improve Therapist Efficiency?

School-based clinicians are often stretched thin and benefit from efficient time management. AI tools can help by:

• Generating activity ideas that align with IEP goals.
• Creating lesson adaptations to support inclusion in classrooms.
• Streamlining documentation such as draft progress notes or parent communication.

These tools can reduce the time therapists spend on repetitive administrative work, allowing more focus on direct student care.

The Boundaries: Where the Line Must Be Drawn

AI is not a replacement for a therapist’s expertise. Decisions related to student evaluations, goals, and progress determination must always remain in the hands of a licensed professional. Over-reliance on AI risks oversimplifying complex student needs. As the American Psychological Association notes, “AI should augment, not replace, the clinician’s role” (PAR, 2025).

Data Privacy Matters

One of the biggest risks in adopting AI in schools is the potential misuse of student data. Publicly available tools like ChatGPT are not FERPA or HIPAA compliant and may store or train on sensitive information. That means therapists should never input identifying student data into these platforms.

Instead, school districts should work with vendors who can demonstrate compliance with:

• FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
• HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, when applicable)
• COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) for students under 13

Best practices include using de-identified information, encrypted platforms, and systems with clear data protection policies.

Practical and Ethical Guidelines for Therapists

To make AI an effective, ethical tool in schools:

1. De-identify student data before using any AI-based tool.
2. Critically reviewing outputs. AI can suggest, but therapists must edit and finalize.
3. Collaborate with administrators to ensure tools meet district and state-level data privacy requirements.
4. Prioritize transparency by explaining to parents, teachers, and administrators how AI-generated content is used in planning.

AI has the power to make therapy planning more efficient and less burdensome, but only when used with care. By staying rooted in professional ethics, protecting student privacy, and keeping the therapist at the center, we can ensure that AI becomes a helpful partner in fostering student growth.

If you ever have questions or concerns about using AI in your practice, your Educational Therapy Manager is here to help!

Not an Austill’s therapist yet? We’d love for you to join our team! Explore career opportunities across PA & NJ: linktr.ee/austillsaot