Conversational Agents to Support People with Communication Disability: A Co-design Study with Speech Pathologists

Communication disabilities can limit individuals’ social interaction, often leading to isolation and reduced quality of life. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can address these challenges through tailored interventions, often supported by assistive technologies. This study explores how conversational agents (CAs) can support individuals with communication disabilities by incorporating SLP expertise through a co-design approach. We conducted a two-phase study: a co-design workshop to understand the needs of the target population and potential roles of CAs to support communication skill training, and a subsequent evaluation session with a CA prototype by a group of SLPs. Our findings highlighted the importance of designing accessibility, personalization, and motivation features of CAs with greater depth, augmentation, and precision, emphasizing the need for multiple interaction modalities, real-time and deeply tailored personalization, and more intrinsic motivational strategies. Our work contributes to the design and application of inclusive CAs in communication therapy, with implications for clinical and home settings.