AI in Special Education (2024)

Artificial intelligence (AI): is it the “magical” technology here to help revolutionize learning for our kids, or is it just another thing we have to worry about? However you feel about it, AI is here — a fact we can’t ignore — and this emerging technology is making its way into our kids’ schools, sparking both excitement and concern. You may have some reservations about AI — whether it’s right for your child, whether it supports their IEP, and whether it can actually support their unique learning goals, interests, and strengths without replacing actual learning.

The hope is that AI will transform the traditional educational system and create new ways of accessing learning that support and represent all learners — including kids with disabilities. AI-powered education can make learning more inclusive, accessible, and personalized for students with diverse needs. The “magical” element remains to be seen. But what does this actually look like in the classroom, and what do we as parents need to know so that we can advocate for, and make informed decisions about, AI’s role in our children’s education?

We’re taking a journey into AI in education and all the areas parents and caregivers need to be familiar with — from IEPs to inclusion to socialization to privacy, ethics, and more.

When you imagine artificial intelligence, what comes to mind? Talking robots, virtual reality, chatbots, facial recognition, gamified learning…maybe the Terminator? AI encompasses many forms of technology, but what exactly is it? According to IBM, “Artificial intelligence, or AI, is [a] technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities.” In fact, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that AI could be “more profound than both fire and electricity.”

It’s important to note that AI is not a search engine nor is it intelligence on its own. Rather, AI can collect data, synthesize information, learn from what is stored, write clearly and quickly, and spit out new ideas, but it still only mimics human intelligence. As written in this article in Forbes, “Think of AI as an engine fueled by data: it consumes data, recognizes patterns in that data, learns from those patterns, and can take action based on those patterns.”

James Basham, PhD, professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas and principal investigator and director of the Center for Innovation, Design, and Digital Learning (CIDDL), tells us that even though this technology is emerging, AI isn’t new. It has been in development for about 50 years and is now starting to be used in classrooms and other areas.Since AI is still developing, there isn’t one best way for students and teachers to use AI tools in the special education classroom, but there are emerging ways to use it.

So far, we know that AI can perform many tasks, and more is yet to be discovered as AI developers are releasing new innovations. In the classroom, AI can be used in the following ways:

Sarah Howorth, PhD, BCBA-D, associate professor of special education at the University of Maine School of Learning and Teaching in their College of Education and Human Development and the director of Maine Access to Inclusive Education Resources (MAIER), says, “Like any technology tool, I see AI as something that needs to be considered second to the learning outcomes for each individual student. So there are many ways in which AI can help support various learning outcomes for students with and without disabilities.”

All of this depends on the purpose behind the technology. A study on AI for students with learning disabilities found that it’s the “users and the manner in which technology is utilized that drives change for learners.” AI, when used purposefully and meaningfully, has the potential to support students with and without disabilities.

Howorth explains that AI could easily be used by teachers as just a strategy for student engagement, but that it also has the potential to do more: “When the iPad came out, it was seen as a new tool for teachers, and many times they used it just for student engagement,” Howorth says. “So I think AI could be used as a student engagement strategy because it's still kind of got that excitement about it, where students are like, ‘Oh, I don't know if I should be using this. I can't believe my teachers [are] letting me use this.’ But at the same time, I think it could be used as a tool to support different students’ needs, but teachers have to be careful in choosing how they will use it.”

And while AI may be new and exciting, Charmaine Thaner, special education advocate, parent trainer, owner of Collaborative Special Education Advocacy, and a parent of an adult son with Down syndrome, believes that it’s best to use what the students already have rather than jump to the next shiny object. Note: Thaner is pro-AI; however, she also cautions parents and anyone who uses or is thinking about using AI to utilize it with discretion. She shares the ideal way to leverage AI in special education with the caveat that the technology is still evolving with many growing pains.

Thaner says, “We think of AI now as things like ChatGPT or Claude or something like that. However, almost all kids, if they have a tablet or Chromebook that they're using at school, there's AI capabilities right there. So I really want us to make sure that we're utilizing what we already have before we say, ‘Oh, this is new and fancier and better.’ But… like the Google Chrome extensions and the read and write capability of the computer… or speech-to-text software… I think there's a wealth of assistive technology that really is based on artificial intelligence, and we need to be using our AT (assistive technology) devices and programs and everything more.”

Enabling adaptability and personalization in learning

Imagine this: an AI algorithm and machine learning analyze your child’s learning patterns, strengths, and weaknesses, and adapt the educational content accordingly. Like many other technology tools, AI tools can tailor and adapt learning experiences and make them more personalized. It’s true: AI can help educational material meet students where they are, build on their strengths, and grow their knowledge and skills. According to this study, “AI has enabled the development and use of intelligent learning systems and adaptive content customized for each student’s learning needs and capabilities, such as intelligent virtual reality and use of the same in simulation teaching and learning, which has been shown to have a positive impact on learning.”

In this video, Howorth provides examples of how AI can be used as an adaptive tool that helps kids with disabilities be included in the general education classroom with their peers, and can help them access learning.

This report in ISET (Innovations in Special Education Technology) explains how AI can act as a “cognitive prosthesis” to help students with disabilities by providing new opportunities to learn and develop skills. “Cognitive prostheses are devices or systems that substitute or compensate for cognitive functions disrupted or impaired due to an injury or illness. Artificial intelligence has the potential to amplify, complement, and enhance the cognitive potential of learners with disabilities, providing an adaptable tool to overcome diverse challenges across formal and informal learning environments,” the authors write.

In the report Inclusive Intelligence: The Impact of AI on Education for All Learners by the Center for Innovation, Design, and Digital Learning (CIDDL), of which Basham is an author, the authors dive into how AI can be used to evaluate student’s in the classroom to create more personalized learning. They share, “AI can evaluate how accessible and inclusive educational content and practices are, especially for individuals with disabilities. Evaluation includes analyzing how different students interact with technology and educational materials, ensuring that all students have equitable learning opportunities.” Let’s dive into a few more areas:

• Academics: AI can analyze standardized test scores, quizzes and exams, and class assignments to track academic progress through identifying patterns and trends in student learning. This can provide parents, teachers, and students insights into both a child’s strengths and areas of need.
• Pace and growth: AI tools can analyze and track a student’s engagement and progress with curriculum over time, which can help AI create adaptive learning environments where content is tailored to the child’s pace and ability.
• Engagement: AI can monitor how engaged a student is in digital learning environments, such as tracking how much time they spend on tasks, class discussions, and interaction with educational content. This data can help tailor lessons and content so that the material is more engaging to a child.
• Behavior: while a bit trickier, AI can also analyze patterns in student behavior, such as attendance, participation in class activities, and social interactions. How can this help? It can help identify a child who may need additional support in areas like social skills or behavioral interventions.

Here are some more examples from the CDE (California Department of Education):

• AI can generate personalized learning materials, such as worksheets, quizzes, and reading assignments, aligned with students' learning goals, strengths, and interests.
• AI analytics can provide educators with insights into student progress and areas that require additional support, allowing educators to provide targeted interventions during small group instruction.
• AI-powered tools can enable text-to-speech and speech-to-text capabilities, ensuring that all students, including those who have low vision or are blind or those who are deaf or hard of hearing, can access educational content.
• AI-driven closed captioning and transcription services can enhance accessibility by making multimedia content, such as videos and podcasts, accessible to individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
• AI-driven language translation tools can break language barriers, making educational content accessible to multilingual learners.
• AI-powered assistive technologies, such as screen readers and voice recognition software, can empower students with disabilities to engage fully in the learning process.

Basham further tells us, “There are various ways we can personalize. And so one of the things we have to do is get the students actively engaged in this…. If you're a parent out there, one of the things we should be doing is empowering our students to use the AI in an effective way. And to have conversations at home, with our families, within our families around ‘What are the effective ways to use AI? What are the best ways to use it in supporting your own learning? And then what are some ethical or even some unethical sort of ways that we should avoid trying?’”

Teaching how to critically use digital tools

When it comes to AI tools, students need training on technical and digital literacy, which can help them access learning appropriately but also help with other skills throughout their lives, such as knowing how to access information safety, what privacy means, how to ask questions, etc. But parents, teachers, and specialists need to show students how to do this.

Howorth stresses the importance of teaching students how to evaluate their sources. "So if ChatGPT (a common AI chatbot) or a large language model (LLM) sometimes hallucinates their sources, we have to teach [students] to evaluate: this might look legitimate, but is it legitimate?" she says. "That's a human skill we must teach our students how to do."

And that's what separates effective and ineffective ways to use AI. Effective is when we see AI as a tool and the user exercising control over it. "We want students to be as self-determined as they possibly can be," Basham says. "And so empowering them to make their choices and actually critically think about the choices they're making as they're doing it… having their own self-agency in that process is essential. And putting the human at the center of the decision versus AI is critically important, too."

Howorth says, “If you gave a student, for example, ChatGPT and said, ‘You can use this as an accommodation,’ sometimes students will say, ‘Oh, great, I don't have to write another thing ever again because I’ll just have ChatGPT write it.’ I think that's the wrong use. But if you taught a student how to prompt ChatGPT, that's called prompt engineering.... You're really teaching them how to query just like you would in a library search engine or on Google. You're teaching them safe things to search for and unsafe things to search for. So just like we had to teach internet safety issues for what's okay to Google and what's not okay to Google in school, you have to do the same thing with tools such as ChatGPT.”

For students with disabilities who have writing and executive functioning issues, Howorth suggests ways to teach them to discern AI output. “If you taught a student [who] had a writing learning disability or an executive functioning issue, where it's hard for them to organize their thoughts, you might have to teach [that] student how to enter the right prompt to get an outline for an essay, then teach that student how to evaluate that outline. ‘Is this really what you want to be writing about? What is good? What isn't good?’ Teach them to be critical consumers of the tools that they're using.”

Improving accessibility

When Basham taught his pre-service teachers last fall, he asked them, “How might we be using these AI tools to help support students with disabilities in a more personalized or individualized environment?” The educators took difficult-to-read texts for students with disabilities and entered them into AI, and AI changed the text and made it easier to read. But it goes further than that.

AI tools might help a student with writing, reading, academic tasks, executive functioning, adaptive skills, modified classwork, visual schedules, and more. For example, AI-powered language systems can provide transcription and captioning services for students who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Or, AI-powered tools can translate text into speech for students who are blind or have low vision. Or, AI can be used to convert traditional paper textbooks into accessible formats such as audiobooks or digital texts with adjustable font sizes. You can find more information on these tools in our article IEP Assistive Technology Tools.

Basham says that using AI in the right way is about helping individuals develop essential life skills. He says, “Why don't we teach the kids, if at all possible, how to do this themselves? So as they run into difficult texts in their life, they have the ability to go in and say, ‘Hey, I need this transformed into such-and-such writing [or] I want to look at this from a different perspective.’ If we teach the students themselves how to do the work [of using the AI to help them with the task], and the AI does the work [the students prompted it to do], it helps the students actually develop life skills that are going to be useful to them throughout the rest of their academic and adult life.”

As Basham explains, we need to inquire into how AI systems that are built and adopted by schools are accessible because it’s not always the case. Some tools and systems haven't gone through accessibility and compliance checks around some of the accessibility standards, he says, “and these are things that need to be discussed in meetings with school administration and teachers.”

Occupational Therapist and Certified Assistive Technology Professional Dr. Elizabeth Pauly tells us that AI is becoming more popular and that parents can advocate for their kids to have equal access to those tools. “I do think that [AI’s] going to be something that becomes more popular and something that is more accessible. And again, it's a free tool, so that's amazing because everybody has access to it. And we want to make sure that it's an equal opportunity for our students to have the same tools and be on the same playing field as their peers.”

Improving inclusion

Another thing that might not be on your mind is how AI, a machine, can create a more inclusive learning environment. According to our experts, AI can indeed do this, but not in a way that you might think. Basham says, “There are various ways that ChatGPT can provide for a more inclusive environment that is accessible for more students. I think one of the things we're going to start seeing is the ability for students to have better access to an inclusive environment than they've ever had before. This is the ability that AI can provide. It all depends on how AI is meaningfully being integrated within the environment,” he says.

When it comes to behavior and behavioral evaluation, AI can provide insights for teachers into the social and emotional factors influencing how students learn, helping them create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment. In the report by CIDDL, the authors state that, “AI can monitor patterns in student engagement, focus, and social interaction, enhancing targeted instruction for students with autism… AI technologies can monitor and analyze the dynamics within the classroom, yielding insights into behavior patterns and social interactions among neurodiverse learners. This information is invaluable for teacher candidates, supporting them in devising strategies that promote a more inclusive and supportive learning atmosphere.”

This can also help parents! Thaner, who has been using AI for about four years and ChatGPT for the past two, says it has so much potential to do different things. For example, you can use a chatbot to learn how to advocate for inclusion: “You can have the ChatGPT play the part of a parent, and you play the part of an administrator, and you type into the chat things that you know are going to come up at the IEP meeting and what an administrator would say, and you can ask ChatGPT as a parent, ‘How can I respond to this?’ And you, in a matter of a couple of minutes, get a lot of ideas. So that's one way it can help you.”

In this clip, Thaner shows parents how to use ChatGPT and prompt-engineer it using inclusion as an example.

When exploring all the ways AI can help our kids access education, we also need to explore other areas, such as reading and writing, math, socialization, functional skills, learning, speech and language therapy, behavioral therapy, and physical therapy.

For example, intelligent tutoring systems such as Khanmigo can support students as they learn in a way that feels accessible, fun, and engaging. These systems can personalize instruction to students, based on their learning style and pace. They can also identify areas where the student might be struggling and adjust the material to address these challenges. The tutor could be a fun character like Spider-Man or Cinderella, someone the child finds motivating and interesting. Students can keep trying until they get it right and keep going forward even after learning a skill, which can improve how they engage with the curriculum.

How AI can support reading and writing

AI could revolutionize learning for kids with disabilities. With these tools, a child can go on AI-powered adventures created and customized for their strengths, interests, and motivations. AI and AT tools are shifting how we view reading and writing — for example, including audiobooks as a form of reading. For kids who have low vision or are blind, or who have difficulty processing text, reading can be “about understanding content, not about pronouncing words.” As written in this Forbes article, “ChatGPT doesn’t mark the end of high school English class, but it can mark the end of formulaic, mediocre writing performance as a goal for students and teachers. That end is long overdue.”

Adapting reading level

With adaptive learning, AI can use “data and algorithms to analyze individual learning styles, strengths and areas for improvement and then adapt instructional content and activities in real-time to suit the unique pace and needs of students. In simpler words, this type of learning technology can increase the difficulty level when students perform well and provide extra assistance during moments of struggle.” For example, teachers or students can enter a topic such as the meaning of the play Hamlet into an AI tool like ChatGPT and ask it to explain the content but at a lower reading level.

Thaner explains how AI tools can adapt to meet a child where they are, including adjusting the reading level of the learning material. The Text Leveler Tool from MagicSchool AI is also a tool for teachers that allows them to take any text and adapt it to fit a student's specific grade level. Thaner, special education advocate, explains how AI tools can adapt to meet a child where they are, including adjusting the reading level of the learning material. The tool Diffit is also an AI educational resource for teachers to get materials that match students’ grade levels and help them access grade level content. You can also use ChoiceTexts, a tool that personalizes learning: students choose a genre based on their own interests, generating text that is suited to their skill level, and aligned with reading standards that include built-in assessment, remediation, and feedback.

Creating writing prompts

AI-generated images can be used to create writing prompts or help kids envision literary or historical scenes, and more. For example, you could type in a prompt like “goat eating cake while on a surfboard” — as they explain in this Edutopia article — and share it with your child, then ask them to write or speak about what they hear, touch, smell, and taste. “From there, students can dig deeper and spend some time writing the image’s backstory. (How did a goat get to the beach in the first place?) To better connect this activity to content learning, ask students to include recent vocabulary words in their writing—or prompt the AI to include relevant concepts in the image itself, like ‘fossils,’ ‘crystals,’ or ‘migration.’”

Engaging with stories

Psst: you can also use AI to create all kinds of stories for your child. Check out this one called Story Spark! Or this one called Storytime.AI, a tool that generates stories quickly and allows kids to choose their characters. For example, AI can bring a student’s drawings to life, which you could then use to prompt them to create a story around the image, enhancing engagement. For example, with the Animated Drawings tool from Meta AI Research, you can upload your child’s drawing or sketch and the AI can quickly have it perform different actions such as walking, dancing, and more. You can then “encourage students to craft a story around the animations. Why, for example, is their drawing running wildly across the room? What is it running from?”As Howorth tells us, AI can be used to help kids engage with learning, such as through visual storytelling.

Basham adds that AI can help students with dyslexia who have difficulty in the writing or reading processes by reading to them and asking questions. “There's an AI we were using recently where the AI was embedded in the book,” he says, “So, the students could read the book and then engage with AI and ask the book questions about itself. So you could say, ‘Hey, I just read Chapter 2, and I thought the main themes were the following. Would you agree or disagree with this?’ The AI would then talk to the student about what happened in Chapter 2. So, there are various ways that AI can help any student. I think students with dyslexia will have superpowers in many ways when using AI, because frequently students with dyslexia can see things quickly and kind of bring relationships together quickly. And I think empowering students, teaching students how to use AI effectively, will be critical to the next generation of learners.”

It is important to note here that this could possibly contribute to kids cheating or not building skills, as well as an easy out to show "progress" when the child is actually not actively engaging in the content. Read on to find out how parents can make sure AI isn't being overused and kids are still learning. You can also find more information on AI and cheating in our article AI in Education: Ethics, Safety Considerations, and Questions Parents Should Ask.

Meaningful essay-writing

Some parents may be worried that their kids are going to use ChatGPT to do all the work for them, including writing essays. But there are ways teachers and parents can help teach kids how to use the tool in a more meaningful way. Howorth tells us, "If a computer can do the assignment, you're giving the wrong assignment." She shares how we can approach writing essays in a more meaningful way to promote deeper learning for kids.

How AI can support math

AI can also help create personalized math lessons and help kids with number sense, rich math tasks, and differentiation. When it comes to math, having the help of an AI system might seem like we’re moving into the age of calculator 2.0. Where we once feared that calculators would take away a students’ ability to solve math problems on their own, we now fear that AI could do the same. For example, Photomath is an app that gives step-by-step solutions to math equations when you point a phone camera at a worksheet or whiteboard. But just like calculators, AI can be a tool to help kids with the process of learning math, such as knowing in real time where they’re making mistakes, or having the material adjusted to their level based on how they answer previous questions.

We can use AI tools like Photomath to engage students in deeper math learning, according to Valerie Bennett, an assistant professor of STEM education curriculum and instruction at Clark Atlanta University. For example, having students solve with math problem with pen and paper, then compare their approach with the approach the AI takes. She explains in this article from Edutopia that students can then ask questions, such as, “Did the platforms come up with different answers? Different methods? Which is most efficient?” Answering these questions will help students think more deeply about different approaches to solving problems and help them refine their own methods.

But how can a tool like ChatGPT help? Edutopia explores how AI can help with number sense, rich math tasks, and differentiation. For example, parents and teachers can use ChatGPT with prompts such as, “Create real-world scenarios for fifth-grade math problems on how math is used in engineering.”

Visualizing math

AI-generated visuals can also enhance comprehension and engagement among students by helping kids visualize math problems and solutions. “Interactive diagrams, simulations, and multimedia content provide additional layers of comprehension and engagement. Softwares such as GeoGebra and Desmos help students with dyscalculia explore mathematical concepts through dynamic visualizations, making it easier to understand theoretical ideas.”

For example, create a visual of a pizza with slices to help a student work out a fraction. The student “can manipulate visual representations of pizza slices or pie charts to understand the concept of fractions in a tangible way. The exercises gradually progress, providing additional support, such as animated explanations and real-world examples involving fractions. These visual aids serve as powerful tools for enhancing conceptual understanding and promoting a deeper connection with mathematical concepts.” AI can also help kids with the more practical application of math concepts, managing time or money. PhET Interactive Simulations, for example, offers interactive simulations for the practical exploration of abstract concepts in a virtual environment.

Making math fun

Gamified learning, as well as VR/AR, can also help by turning complicated math into engaging and enjoyable activities. Gamified learning can also incorporate reward systems and progress tracking features like digital badges, progressive milestones, and real-time leaderboards, which celebrate learning milestones and help kids to stay motivated. One example is Prodigy Math, a game that has personalized characters and rewards.

Augmented reality can provide students the opportunity to use math books that are AR-enabled, allowing them to view objects, text, and numbers in 3D through their mobile devices. This feature is particularly beneficial for students who struggle to visualize and read the text on the page to appear bigger. Not to mention, many of these new AR programs have game-based learning in them to empower students to keep learning. For example, using the McGraw Hill AR app, “educators can bring 10 math concepts to life on their students’ smartphone or tablet. Students can view and manipulate shapes and use animations to help them visually understand mathematics.” Some apps that you can explore include Slope, where students determine the slopes of ski trails, calculate the slopes of triangles, and more; Growth Functions, where students compare the growth rates of linear, quadratic and exponential functions in the form of dozens of rabbits jumping out of a magician’s hat; and more.

Find some more great math tools in our AT tools article, such as ModMath, an iPad app that helps kids with dyslexia and dysgraphia do math, Equatio, which moves math into digital instruction and helps students hear their math read aloud to them, Dexteria Dots - Get in Touch with Math, an app that helps students practice their math skills while working on dexteria skills at the same time, and DoodleMaths, an app for kids that boosts math confidence and ability by creating every child a unique math experience tailored to their needs.

How AI can support executive functioning, behavior, speech, and mobility

AI has the capacity to be used in many areas of a child’s life, in and out of school. According to Basham and Howorth, AI can be used to teach kids how to develop skills at home, such as doing the laundry and loading the dishwasher.

Task analysis

With task analysis, “Any skill or task you're wanting a student to master will be broken down into simple parts so you can backwards-chain the steps involved.” As Basham says, you can think, “Okay, I'm gonna teach my sons how to do the laundry. Here's my washer and dryer, take a picture of it, drop it in [the AI tool], then [ask the AI], ‘Can you lay out a five-step process for helping my child learn how to do laundry?’ And it's going to set up a little task analysis to set up those things. And so parents can use it the same way teachers are using it, in that capacity as well.”

Video modeling

Howorth states that video modeling, using video to teach new skills, is a huge evidence-based practice for teaching students functional skills, especially kids with autism. AI can even individualize steps for your child depending on what you’re teaching. She says,“You can put into ChatGPT, ‘Give me the steps for how to load a dishwasher [or] give me the steps for how to wash my whites in the laundry,’ and it will give you a list of steps that you could then individualize for your child, or your student, depending on what it is you're teaching them to do. Then you could take those steps and drop it into an image or a video generator, such as Synthesia, and create a video model of it, all AI, and it will comb the internet for pieces of a video that it will put together… Then you as a parent can look at that list with your child and say, ‘Okay, does this make sense? And adjust it accordingly.’

One tool that uses visual language is InnerVoice, a communication app for children with autism that teaches social communication skills by using animated 3D avatars of themselves, characters, or favorite toys. The app’s customizable avatars stimulate social cues and help “children who have difficulties with language and expression pair words with meanings and practice conversation.”​ Watch it in action here.

Executive functions

AI can also help with executive functioning difficulties. Executive functioning is a cognitive process that allows us to regulate our behavior and actively control our attention in order to accomplish a goal. Students with ADHD, autism, and other learning disabilities who experience executive functioning challenges may have difficulty navigating tasks and assignments, retaining information shared during a lesson, and effectively managing their time while completing independent work. This is where AI can help. AI-powered organization tools can help with task scheduling, reminders, and goal setting, helping students stay on track of school and home tasks, and meet deadlines; AI-powered study tools can give kids personalized study material, flashcards, and quizzes, which can support memory and recall; and more.

For organization and working memory, kids can be taught to use AI tools to organize their time, schedules, set reminders, and remember and manage daily tasks, which can reduce cognitive load. Working memory, which is part of the brain’s process of remembering and focusing on tasks you’re doing at the moment. While some tangible interventions could include attaching a laminated list to their backpack of all the things to take to school, or putting a Post-It note on the door to remind them to take their lunch to school, there are AI tools that can also help.

ChatGPT, for example, can be used for task initiation and planning, such as ordering a pizza. This task involves many steps, such as figuring out how many pizzas to order, what toppings, where to order from, etc. Kids with executive functioning challenges may find it hard to break this down into manageable parts. Kids can be taught to use an AI tool, such as the “Magic To-Do List,” to enter a task and get a breakdown with a to-do list to complete said task. It can even tell you how long a certain task will take! Demonstrating what they’ve learned can help with working memory. The app ChatterPix, for example, can be used by a child to narrate or describe knowledge of a concept in a fun way using digital puppets or other images.

Social scripts

AI can also help parents write social scripts, such as this Generator Tool from MagicSchool AI, and Nookly. Social scripts are often simple books individually created for a particular child to address a social convention that they may find challenging. Thaner says, “It depends on what your specific social skills goals would be. However, I know a lot of families will use social scripts. And that's something that AI tools can write for you. And they can use things that your child likes. So that social script is more individualized. And you can give the AI tool like the general concept — we're going to a new restaurant — [and prompt the tool] ‘What are some things that you could add?’ The other thing that I love to do is to ask ChatGPT, ‘I need a social script for my child about going to a restaurant. What information do you need about my child in order to individualize it?’ And ChatGPT will give you, ‘This is the information I need.’ You give that back to the AI tool, and they write you an individualized social script.”

AI in therapies

Research has also shown that AI can be used to help kids in speech therapy: “AI-powered applications can analyze a student’s speech patterns, identify areas of improvement, and provide personalized exercises to help improve their speech and language skills.” AI tools can provide real-time, personalized feedback and track a student’s progress over time. These tools are particularly useful if your child feels self-conscious about their speech and language abilities, because they can practice in a judgment-free environment, such as a virtual environment.

Similarly, AI can power physical therapy in new and exciting ways. It can create personalized exercise plans for students with physical disabilities, provide real-time feedback, and, with AI-powered games, turn physical therapy exercises into fun experiences. AI can also be used to create virtual reality environments for children to practice mobility and motor skills in fun, safe, and engaging ways.

AI can also possibly help with behavioral evaluation and intervention, which can seem both exciting and scary. How does this work? Through monitoring and analyzing behavior patterns and social interactions among neurodiverse learners, and intervening if needed. The CIDDL report shares that student engagement could be measured through biometric devices such as smartwatches, or emotions are monitored through cameras and using multimodal data collection, such as “eye tracking, galvanic skin response, body temperature, electrodermal activity, heart rate, electrical brain surface activity, and linguistic and prosodic aspects of speech.” Using AI, we could connect these analytics to tools that could then deploy interventions “such as changing the color of environments, intensifying sound, or changing learning pathways.” However, the authors explore the various ethical questions behind using data in this way.

How AI tools can help kids with socialization

Despite the fact that we still don’t know everything AI is capable of, what we know so far about it can help kids with inclusion and develop socialization skills. As Basham says, “I think one of the things that we're going to see an increase in is using these chatbots in a way that are conversational agents, to help support socialization, just in practicing with someone. But the other thing we could do is, you can imagine a student that really needs help and prompting how to engage in a situation that's really uncomfortable, and they can quickly ask an AI, ‘Hey, what are some ideas for socializing in such-and-such group?’ And the AI will give them some responses. Now, whether that response is correct or not, that has to be kind of thought through a little bit by the person. But… there are various ways in which AI can help in that process. And I think, again, it's something that we don't fully understand yet because it's not been investigated on any large scale. But we know that it has the ability out there to help students and the socialization process.”

Learning with robots

Social robots and chatbots are another way kids can learn socialization skills. These social robots can teach social and educational skills to students of all abilities, including those with autism, ADHD, limited hearing, dyslexia, Down syndrome, and more. For kids with autism, these social robots can have a more predictable and repetitive nature that creates a safe and comforting space to learn and practice these skills. These types of robots have even been found to re-engage children in various types of therapy by detecting eye contact, body movements, and verbal cues.

Chatbots and AI companions can also “help provide affirmations, increase social communication, and provide positive statements to students with disabilities. These types of AI tools… can alleviate the need for reinforcement from adults, while helping increase self-regulation skills.” Social robots are relatively new, so as parents, if this is technology you want for your child, you would need to independently seek out these technologies, advocate to incorporate them in your child’s curricula, and ask teachers and school administrators to learn about the technology. Stay tuned for our upcoming article on how game-based learning, VR/AR, and social robots can help kids with disabilities!

Learning in a safe environment

Other tools, such as virtual reality (VR), can also help teach kids about topics they might not be able to safely explore in real-life settings, such as personal safety, socialization, boundaries, consent, health, and humor. VR can provide kids with a safe environment to practice and enhance skills that are often difficult to develop in real-life settings, with time to practice and customize simulations as needed. In a virtual learning environment, learners are not judged or ridiculed if they make a mistake or say something unexpected. As a result, students experience reduced anxiety during skill-building exercises. These tools help kids to desensitize internal discomfort while building confidence and self-efficacy.

In the clip below, Amber Rowland, associate research professor at the University of Kansas who has a Ph.D in curriculum and teaching with a specialization in special education, delves deeper into how these innovative technologies support children with disabilities in developing social skills in a safe, timely, and less anxiety-inducing environment.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles created to meet the individual needs of all students by providing a variety of materials and learning modalities. Teachers using UDL create a flexible learning environment and a more accessible baseline to support a diverse set of students. Teachers trained in UDL understand that it is important to incorporate different needs, strengths, and learning styles into their lesson plans to engage as many students as possible. For example, they may use a combination of lecture, visual aids, music, and tactile props. But how do UDL and AI work together?

The UDL framework is based in neuroscience and centers on three brain networks that correspond to three main principles:

• Engagement (the affective network): why a child is learning
• Representation (the recognition network): what a child is learning
• Action and Expression (the strategic network): how the child is learning

UDL’s principles can make a significant impact when using AI as a tool to supplement what humans might not be able to do, Thaner says. When using a UDL approach, AI can “evaluate the effectiveness of personalized learning paths. It can analyze how different students respond to various teaching methods and content delivery styles, aiding in the refinement of personalized learning experiences.”

“That's what I like to do when I'm playing around with an AI tool: look at how we can present this activity or this lesson in a variety of ways. And you can get Chat to make a list and you can say, ‘What are the different ways that my child can show what they’ve learned on this science unit?’ And you can, again, have that information about how your child learns best and everything. And then you can say, ‘What are some ideas to keep my child engaged and motivated in learning?’ So you use the three principles of UDL, and you ask the AI tool each one of those questions.”

In this clip, Basham shares what Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is and how UDL and AI go hand in hand to ensure that all students, particularly those with disabilities, are really learning.

After learning about AI, some parents want their children to start using it in the classroom, but they have questions. For example, do you need to have a formal assessment? What kind of assessment includes AI? Where would an AI tool even fit in an IEP? Has anyone in the school been trained in best practices?

Here are some tips for adding AI to your child’s IEP:

Explore where AI fits into your child’s educational roadmap

Special education advocate and owner of KnowIEPs, Dr. Sarah Pelangka, says she has seen AI written into IEPs, especially for students with more significant levels of dyslexia or dysgraphia or those trying to graduate high school. Although AI can generate written responses for those struggling with writing and other areas, it’s still very controversial. She says that some parents think AI is fantastic and can be an excellent accommodation for their child, while other parents are more hesitant. Some parents have said, "My child is just trying to graduate, he's just trying to get through school, he doesn't want to write in his career, so we don't really care." She also has parents who’ve said, "This is cheating. We don't want this. We want to continue to push."

Get an assistive technology assessment

Is AI a form of assistive technology? Thaner tells us that some states might consider AI as AT, so check with your state and school district. In California, if a student needs any AI technology, it would fall under the AT mandate in an IEP. In most cases, it will follow the same process as adding any assistive technology device to the IEP. In fact, most IEPs will have an option for you to incorporate an AI or AT tool or device. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the IEP team must assess the need for the AI or AT devices and services at every meeting for developing, reviewing, or revising a student's IEP. So if a student has AI needs, that would be included in the AT assessment. You can read more about how to add AI to an IEP in our article Assistive Technology (AT) 101.

Check state regulations

Thaner strongly recommends that parents check with their state regulations on how AI gets written into an IEP. “I think that might depend on the state that you live in,” Thaner says. “I work with families around the country, and I always caution that we've got to look at what our own state regulations say… Some districts in some states might look at that as an accommodation,” Thaner says. “And so then you want it on the accommodations page.”

AI as an accommodation and modification

Thaner recommends discussing AI accommodations at an IEP meeting and letting the school staff know ahead of time that AI is something you would like to discuss. Depending on your state regulations, AI could be embedded into a goal, Thaner says. She says AI can be written into the needs section to say, “‘Our son needs to use AI tools for…’ and then list the reasons. It could [state] on the accommodations page that your child's going to be using AI tools as a way to level the playing field so they can be more successful in general ed. I think that will be a discussion that we see coming up more and more now that more people are using AI.”

This technology can be used as an accommodation and a modification, Thaner says. “If a student has some fine motor challenges, and the team decides, ‘Let's start using keyboarding,’ that could be a way for that child to use a tool for writing. Or they could say, ‘The student has understandable speech. Why don't we try some speech-to-text or some kind of software and have the student do their writing that way.’ The other thing is, students that use communication devices, that's a way that they can use artificial intelligence and assistive technology as a way to have written communication with others.”

For the most part, indicating somewhere on the IEP how AI will be used will be helpful. Thaner says near the end of the IEP is where you can describe what accommodations or modifications your child might need, including how AI can be used as a tool. “And that's where I think AI has really made a difference in helping teachers and families look at how [we can] modify this lesson,” Thaner says, “so my child can be successful.”

Collaborate with your child’s school

Basham shares his advice for parents about working with the schools to explore AI and how it can fit into your child’s education and future. Basham recommends that parents discuss AI with their child’s IEP team. School staff might not know much about AI, yet, so it may be up to us as parents to advocate for what we want for our kids.

“Parents, by and large, need to be aware of AI’s presence and its ability to support a tremendous amount of learning for students with disabilities. Independence and accessibility for all students, but specifically students with disabilities. I want to reiterate that we're just in a new age of AI. I think schools are trying to figure it out, and society is trying to figure it out. And so I would encourage parents to form some sort of collaboration or partnership with schools. I know we're all very, very busy as parents. But I think if you have the time, and subsequently, if you have the knowledge and skills, take some time and sit down with your schools and talk with them about the appropriate uses of AI. And how do they envision the future? Because I think one of the things we need to hone in on is supporting and educating students with disabilities; [it] should be a process of collaboration. It's a collaboration between school professionals, parents, and families. I mean, it's really about collaboration, that's how it was intended, and that's what we need to focus on. And I think AI will be an important tool in that process.”

Who pays for these AI tools?

Many free and engaging AI tools are already being used in classrooms by teachers across different grade levels and subject areas. But what about tools that are not free? When it comes to assistive technology, for example, schools must provide and pay for AT for students who need it. The school is not allowed to refuse funding or require parents to buy the technology themselves. If AI falls under AT, schools would also be required to pay. But because AI is so new, districts might push back on including them in an IEP.

AI is tricky because while AI can help our kids in many wonderful ways, we also need to make sure that it’s not interfering with learning. As to whether AI can be used to over-modify curriculum, Thaner says yes. The way to work around that is to monitor and control how much information is being inputted into AI. Dr. Pelangka says it's family- and student-specific and she can see both sides. Her hope is that teachers use AI for the right reasons.

"I feel like I would caution parents, especially for younger students," Dr. Pelangka says. "My worry is kids are going to get passed through the grades and they're going to get promoted. And it's not really them showing what they know. So I just think it has to be utilized very cautiously. And ideally, it will only be for those students who are still able to articulate and show that they're comprehending, and they're understanding what they're supposed to be writing about. They just have that block when it comes to being able to put it on paper. As long as teachers are able to assess that piece, I feel like [AI] could be really useful. But if not, I think we're going to be spitting out students into the world who haven't shown what they know. And that to me, that's kind of scary."

Basham tells us that there's no way to officially judge whether an IEP team is overusing AI. "One of the things we need to recognize is that to have growth and learning, there needs to be a small struggle, but if it becomes too hard, then students kind of just shut down and they don't actually learn anything.… But if it becomes too easy, we have just the same sort of effect that takes place, just the opposite extreme where students aren't really learning anything.”

Basham suggests parents identify whether their child has the needed accessibility and whether they are gaining independence. "Do they have the needed tools? And beyond those needed tools, then we need to make sure the students are actually continually showing growth in the learning process." So if your child continuously comes home and says, "I didn't really do anything today," Basham says, that should alert parents to "amp it up a little bit."

Thaner recommends parents find out what AI tools the schools are using. If they are helpful at school, she says they might be useful at home, too. This allows parents to determine whether the AI tool is what their child needs and whether it would be beneficial. Afterward, Thaner says to have a conversation with your child's IEP team and ask: "What are the benefits? Do you see my child depending on it too much?" What it comes down to at the end is communication. "I think it's that ongoing communication between the family and the team to make sure that whatever strategies they're using are a good fit for your child," she says.

Presume competence in your child

Howorth leaves us with these words: “Because I have children who have had IEPs and 504 plans, the one piece of information I would say is to assume your child can. And don't let anybody tell you they can't. But learn to recognize when they need support and when they don't, which is hard. I'm not going to say it's easy. I have three kids — two of them are teenagers and one's practically an adult at 20. And even given all that I do, as a special ed teacher and professor, as a parent I often have to remind myself not to do stuff for my children. I have to remind myself, they got this. One of my best friends once described parenting to me as pointing an arrow and then once you let go, you have to trust the path that arrow takes. So we can line it up, we can do all that. That's my piece of advice for parents: trust that they have skills that are unique to them and help them to recognize those skills.”

For more about the ethical and safety considerations of using AI in education, be sure to check out our article AI in Education: Ethics, Safety Considerations, and Questions Parents Should Ask.