"As an associate professor in special education who works with AI, I see its potential and its pitfalls. While AI systems may be able to reduce administrative burdens, deliver expert guidance and help overwhelmed professionals manage their caseloads, they can also present ethical challenges - ranging from machine bias to broader issues of trust in automated systems. They also risk amplifying existing problems with how special ed services are delivered."
"A faster IEP, but how individualized? AI is already shaping special education planning, personnel preparation, and assessment. One example is the individualized education program, or IEP, the primary instrument for guiding which services a child receives. An IEP draws on a range of assessments and other data to describe a child's strengths, determine their needs and set measurable goals. Every part of this process depends on trained professionals."
U.S. special education faces scarce funding and pervasive personnel shortages, leaving many districts unable to hire qualified practitioners. Over 7 million children receive entitlements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that guarantee tailored instruction and legal processes for family negotiation. Special education requires rehabilitation specialists, speech-language pathologists and classroom teaching assistants, yet these roles remain scarce. Artificial intelligence offers potential to reduce administrative burdens, deliver expert guidance, help professionals manage caseloads and lower labor costs. AI also poses ethical challenges including machine bias, trust in automated systems and the risk of amplifying existing service-delivery problems.
Read at Fast Company
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