Artificial Intelligence in Special Education: Comparison
Please note this is a comparison between Version 2 by Vicky Zhou and Version 1 by Andrea R Harkins-Brown.

This entry examines the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in special education. The authors discuss applications of AI in the field, including its uses for personalized learning, adaptive technologies, teacher support, and AI’s potential to address issues related to student accessibility and engagement. The entry draws on recent syntheses of literature, highlighting studies that reveal AI’s capacity to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities, mitigate teacher workload, and foster inclusion. Despite these promising developments, the authors address ethical considerations, potential biases, and privacy concerns surrounding the use of AI, as well as the need for high-quality research that validates AI’s effectiveness in special education. The authors conclude that while AI can offer substantial support, it should be integrated thoughtfully, guided by empirical research, and accompanied by skilled professional oversight to ensure that it truly benefits students with disabilities.

  • accessibility
  • artificial intelligence
  • individualized education program
  • personalized learning
  • special education
The purpose of special education is to provide specially designed instruction to individuals with disabilities. This involves ensuring that young children, school-aged children, and young adults have access to the supports and services that meet their unique needs and prepares them for further education, employment, and/or independent living [1]. Special education and related services are designed to provide students with equitable access to instruction, often through differentiating and personalizing learning opportunities and curricula through early intervention, instructional and behavioral accommodations, or modifications based on a student’s strengths and needs and coordinated resources which prepare a young person with a disability for a successful transition from school to postsecondary life. For many students with disabilities, the use of instructional or assistive technologies can be advantageous for mitigating the impacts of a disability and for providing this equitable access.
Artificial intelligence (AI), a branch of computer science concerned with building technology capable of complex tasks that closely resemble human thought, has tremendous potential to enhance learning for students with disabilities and alleviate the teacher workload crisis in special education. Cognitive behaviors commonly cited in definitions of AI include natural language processing, reasoning, problem solving, realistic communication, and adapting to new circumstances by identifying and extrapolating patterns [2] (p. 2). Generative AI, a subset of AI, takes this potential even further by creating original material such as multimedia assets, computer code, and sophisticated writer or verbal responses [3]. While early, data-centric applications of AI in education, such as intelligent tutoring systems and learning analytics, demonstrated the promise of personalized instruction, the rapid evolution of Generative AI represents an unprecedented opportunity to transform teaching and learning, particularly in special education [4]. AI can address persistent challenges in special education including automating routine tasks, strengthening individualized education programs (IEPs), providing adaptive interventions for diverse learner needs, and increasing teacher efficiencies. However, the field has yet to capitalize on these advancements.
Technologies traditionally designed to support students with disabilities have been referred to as assistive technologies (ATs). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [5] defines an AT device as “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially or off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability”. Over time, the use of technologies to support students with disabilities has evolved given the advances in today’s mainstream tools and platforms, including the digital accessibility features embedded in common devices such as tablets, laptops, and smartphones [6]. This evolution allows practitioners to meet many of the needs of students with disabilities through universal tools, which reduces the stigma associated with using specialized equipment and offers increased portability for use in natural settings [7]. The emergence of AI now marks a major shift in this evolution. Traditional AT focuses on addressing specific functional needs (e.g., mobility, communication, or sensory support), while AI-based systems expand these capabilities to personalize as well as enhance learning for students through predictive assistance and real-time adaptation. More recently, generative AI has further enhanced this potential by facilitating the creation of dynamic content, natural language processing, and tailored support for diverse learning needs. The transition from AI to generative AI signifies a critical advancement in the field, offering new ways to empower students with disabilities and support their teachers.

References

  1. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Section 1400. Available online: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/statute-chapter-33/subchapter-i/1400/ (accessed on 5 November 2024).
  2. Russell, S.J.; Norvig, P. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, 4th ed.; Pearson: London, UK, 2021.
  3. Kong, S.-C.; Yang, Y. A Human-Centered Learning and Teaching Framework Using Generative Artificial Intelligence for Self-Regulated Learning Development Through Domain Knowledge Learning in K–12 Settings. IEEE Trans. Learn. Technol. 2024, 17, 1588–1599.
  4. Marouf, A.; Al-Dahdooh, R.; Ghali, M.J.A.; Mahdi, A.O.; Abunasser, B.S.; Abu-Naser, S.S. Enhancing Education with Artificial Intelligence: The Role of Intelligent Tutoring Systems. Int. J. Eng. Inf. Syst. (IJEAIS) 2024, 8, 10–16.
  5. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Sec. 300.5 Assistive Technology Device. Available online: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.5 (accessed on 5 November 2024).
  6. Carey, L.B.; Harkins-Brown, A.; Ruble, K.; Paré-Blagoev, E.J.; Milla, K.; Thornton, C.P.; Jacobson, L.A. Improving Assistive Technology Access for Students With Chronic and Complex Medical Conditions: Lessons Learned From Young Cancer Survivors. Teach. Except. Child. 2023, 55, 238–243.
  7. Boser, K.I.; Goodwin, M.S.; Wayland, S.C. Technology Tools for Students with Autism: Innovations That Enhance Independence and Learning; Brookes: Baltimore, MD, USA, 2014.
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