Izzy Montano's path to speech-language pathology started in the deaf community of San Diego, wound through the U.S. Navy's intelligence division, and eventually landed him in a school district managing a caseload of over 100 students. Somewhere in the middle of all that, he taught himself to code and built SLP AI Tools, a platform designed specifically to eliminate the administrative burnout that plagues so many clinicians.
In this conversation, Izzy and Michelle unpack what AI actually is (and isn't), why paperwork can never love you back, and how shifting the cognitive load from writing to editing can restore the human connection at the heart of the profession.
Izzy also gives a candid look at the propaganda on both sides of the AI debate, explains why a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is non-negotiable before using any AI platform, and reminds every listener—new grad and 30-year veteran alike—that AI is a tool to amplify clinical expertise, not replace it.
Whether you are drowning in IEP paperwork, just starting your career journey, or somewhere in between, this episode will change how you think about AI in your practice.
AI simulates output—it never simulates origin. Human clinical judgment, creativity, and decision-making cannot be replicated. AI produces a first draft; the SLP shapes the final product.
Editing is faster than starting from zero. Shifting the cognitive load from generation to editing dramatically reduces documentation time, leaving more bandwidth for direct client care.
A Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is non-negotiable. Before using any AI platform with patient or student information, confirm that a BAA is in place to ensure HIPAA compliance.
Graduate students can access AI Praxis Prep for free. A 30-day free trial is available for students preparing for the Praxis exam, with the ability to focus on specific topic and subtopic areas.
00:00:00—Introduction and Welcome: Michelle introduces Izzy Montano and his background as a Navy veteran, school-based SLP, and founder of SLP AI Tools
00:02:24—Izzy's Journey: From San Diego's deaf community and American Sign Language to speech-language pathology and the U.S. Navy
00:03:51—From Teletherapy to AI: How Izzy's private practice teletherapy experience sparked his interest in coding and building AI tools for SLPs
00:07:53—Building SLP AI Tools: How Izzy coded the platform himself using AI, starting with a Chrome extension concept and scaling to a full web application and iOS app
00:09:47—The AI Debate: A balanced look at the propaganda on both sides of the AI conversation, drawing on Izzy's background in Naval Intelligence
00:13:48—AI as an Output Simulator: Izzy's foundational principle—AI can simulate output but can never simulate origin—and what that means for SLP practice
00:15:26—Paperwork Can Never Love You Back: Why reducing documentation time is ultimately about returning focus to patients, families, and clinical outcomes
00:17:56—The Editing Advantage: Why the editing phase of the literary process matters more than the writing phase, and how AI accelerates the path to a polished clinical document
00:20:30—The SOAP Note Tool: How the tool generates fresh, session-specific SOAP notes from live dictation, including full support for group sessions
00:22:42—The Evaluation Sidekick: Apple Watch wireless mic integration, customizable templates, and hands-free first-draft evaluation reports
00:25:07—Language Sample Analysis Tool: Automated transcription and analysis that calculates MLU, TTR, C-units, percent grammatical utterances, and more—in collaboration with CMU Case
00:29:21—The Caseload Calendar: How the logic-based scheduling tool generates multiple caseload schedule options within a single day, with a patent pending
00:32:17—AI Praxis Prep: Praxis preparation aligned to ETS guidelines, with topic-specific customization and a free 30-day trial for graduate students
00:34:01—SLP Chat: A speech-language pathology-specific AI tool for creating therapy materials, custom games, and parent-friendly resources
00:35:19—Staying Current with AI: How Izzy keeps pace with a rapidly evolving technology landscape and what he wants to learn from the broader SLP community
00:37:34—ASHA Indianapolis: Izzy's booth at the ASHA Convention—directly across from AMN Healthcare
00:38:46—Advice for SLPs Using AI: Always confirm a BAA is in place, use AI to amplify your work, and remember that the profession started with the focus on peopleIzzy Montano—known as Mr. Speechy on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok—is a father of four, Navy veteran, and self-employed SLP contractor based in the Arlington School District, where he serves developmental preschool and high school students on a caseload of more than 100. He is also the founder of SLP AI Tools, an AI-powered platform and iOS app designed to eliminate administrative burnout for speech-language pathologists.
Izzy served as a U.S. Naval Intelligence Specialist from 2015 to 2022, stationed in San Diego, Hawaii, and Australia. His journey into communication began with American Sign Language in San Diego's deaf community before his passion led him to speech-language pathology. He completed his graduate training at San Diego State University and the University of South Dakota.
Outside of work, Izzy is working toward the 1,000-pound club in weightlifting and looks forward to his wife Kaylie's homemade sourdough pizza with pineapple.
YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok: @Mr. Speechy
Email: [email protected]Resources and Calls to Action
Download the SLP AI Tools App on the iOS App Store—search SLP AI Tools
Graduate students: Sign up for a free 30-day trial of AI Praxis Prep before your Praxis exam at slptools.ai
Visit Izzy's booth at the ASHA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana—directly across from the AMN Healthcare boothWIN A TRIP TO ASHA 2026 ON US! Enter to win!
The Top-5 Highest Paying States for School & Travel SLPs!
Browse School Therapy Jobs & Careers
Learn more about the show: SLP Full Disclosure Podcast
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