As education professionals, we’re always looking for new tools to remove barriers and create more inclusive classrooms. In recent years Generative AI has promised to do just that, but there hasnt been a huge emphasis on the how or the why. You might have heard of tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude in the context of essay writing, but their true power for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) lies in the potential to personalise learning at scale.

Think of it your chosen GPT as a tireless teaching assistant that can instantly adapt resources to suit an individual pupil’s needs. Here’s how you can harness it effectively and safely.

Personalisation on Demand

Every pupil with additional needs has a unique profile, and their specific adjustments and targets should be available to you as their teacher. Generative AI can take a piece of curriculum content and reframe it in countless ways, all based on your prompt. You provide the information for the lesson or activity, you tell the AI how to differentiate the work and then you refine the output.

Practical Strategies to Try Tomorrow

1. Differentiating Texts and Worksheets
Struggling to find a text at the right reading level for a dyslexic pupil or one with language processing difficulties? AI can help.

• Your Prompt: “Rewrite the following paragraph about the Roman invasion of Britain for a 10-year-old with a reading age of 7. Use short sentences and simple vocabulary. [Paste your original text here]”
• Your Prompt: “Create a worksheet about photosynthesis. Include three key facts, a simple diagram labelling activity, and two multiple-choice questions.”

2. Creating Social Stories and Scripts
For autistic pupils, understanding social situations and expectations can be challenging. Generative AI is excellent at drafting consistent, clear social stories.

• Your Prompt: “Write a social story for a 7-year-old autistic child about what to expect during a school fire drill. It should explain the loud noise, the need to line up quietly, and that it is just a practice.”

3. Generating Multi-Sensory Activities
Pupils learn best when multiple senses are engaged. AI can be your idea engine for hands-on learning.

• Your Prompt: “Suggest five hands-on, sensory activities for a Key Stage 1 pupil with ADHD to help them learn about counting and numbers up to 20.”

A Word of Essential Caution

Generative AI is a powerful tool, not a professional replacement. Always remember:

• Privacy is Paramount: Never input a pupil’s full name, address, or any sensitive information. Use initials or generic terms like "a Year 5 pupil."
• Fact-Check Everything: AI can "hallucinate" and make up facts. You are the subject expert—always verify the content.
• The Human Touch is Irreplaceable: The AI creates a draft, but you provide the empathy, relationship-building, and professional judgement. Review everything for appropriateness and tone.

Your First Step

Start small. Pick one lesson next week where you have a pupil who might struggle with the core resource. Use a generative AI tool to create one differentiated version. See the difference it makes.

Further Reading:

• National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen): For comprehensive SEND guidance and resources.
• The British Psychological Society (BPS): For reports on the ethical use of technology in education.

So far AI technologies can remove accessibility barriers through different solutions:

• Image recognition for people with a visual impairment,
• Facial recognition for people with a visual impairment,
• Lip-reading recognition for people with a hearing impairment,
• Text summarization for people with a mental impairment,

• Real-time captioning or translations for people with a hearing impairment or even people who don’t speak the language.
• Communicating with others and being connected.

What more can we expect from AI technologies in Special Education?

Developing fully intelligent education tools and new virtual teaching assistants will take time for sure. But given the current technological advancements, here is the some changes AI is already making on special education market today:

• New artificial intelligence systems are being developed to help teachers administer more effective testing that could uncover some of these often-hidden learning disabilities like dyslexia or dyscalculia. Once they can be properly identified, educators can tap into the resources available for a learning disability.
• Technologies like Voice Over, Virtual Assistants, Voice Control, Instant transcriptions, Face Recognition, Image Recognition, Keyboard Navigation Optimisation, Voice Recognition and Audio Descriptions when combined with AI and ML can be transformed to powerful tools that can help us shape new educational schemes on special education.

AI technologies can help us develop pedagogies that promote creativity and will help in creating a safe environment for children where they are free to exchange ideas, conversations with each other and respect the differences in each individual. By having a user-centered approach, artificial intelligence technologies use inclusive design to conceive solutions that best meet the needs of people with disabilities to enhance accessibility. Indeed, AI technology enables them to gain more autonomy whether they’re at home enjoying a movie with subtitles or at work reading an accessible document making the world more accessible and inclusive to them.