Transforming Special Education for Students with ID
AI has the potential to redefine how we support students with intellectual disabilities. Discover how adaptive learning tools and data-driven insights can help educators create more inclusive and impactful learning environments.
I have spent much of my life navigating the intersection of education and lived experience, whether as a refugee searching for belonging, an Air Force officer learning to lead, or the father of a beautiful girl with Down syndrome whose every milestone teaches me something new about the human spirit.
Lately, I have been thinking about how AI can help us reimagine special education, particularly for students with intellectual disabilities. In my work with inclusive pathways and in my classrooms, I have seen firsthand the power of individualized learning and authentic connection. I know that these students have unique voices and dreams that deserve to be nurtured.
AI, when used with care and intention, has the potential to be a bridge, offering personalized supports, adaptive learning experiences, and entirely new ways for students to communicate what they know and who they are. It can dramatically expand how educators support students with intellectual disabilities. AI can handle repetitive tasks, analyze learning patterns, and provide instant feedback that used to take hours of one-on-one attention. It does not replace the empathy and humanity of a dedicated educator, but it can make the process more productive, freeing up more time for authentic connection and deeper learning.
Most importantly, AI can evolve what is possible. It can help students with ID build skills at their own pace, amplify their unique ways of thinking, and access learning opportunities that might have been out of reach in traditional classrooms. For special educators, it can shift the focus from simply getting through the day to designing environments that adapt to each learner, environments where students can achieve more than anyone thought possible.
Of course, there are hard questions about how we integrate these tools, whose needs they meet, what voices they lift up, and how we protect the heart of teaching in the process. But I believe that if we listen to our students and stay rooted in empathy, AI can help us create classrooms that honor every learner’s potential.
For me, this is not just about teaching or technology. It is about building a world where every learner, no matter their label or starting point, is met with the tools and the belief they need to thrive.
Educating the AI Generation
As educators, we must adapt to the changing landscape of technology and learning. Banning AI in the classroom might feel right, but it overlooks the deeper challenge: helping students thrive in a world where AI is part of daily life. Let’s explore how to integrate these tools, so we don’t just keep up—we lead.
"I'll make sure you fail if I detect that you're using AI to complete your assignments."
Like many other professors, I believe I have the right to establish this policy in my class. Academic freedom gives us the ability to shape our classrooms, and it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve restricted certain technologies. I like to start with the 90s... Walkmans, pagers, scientific calculators, laptops, cell phones and now AI.
But here’s the thing. Banning AI isn’t going to help us educate this current generation of students, nor the next.
Sure, banning it lets you get through the semester on your own terms. It might even feel good to uphold traditional learning methods and honor the educators who've shaped us. After all, what’s an essay worth if it’s magically written by AI in seconds?
But that’s just passing the buck, if you think about it. Students will still use AI in the next class, with the next instructor who’s more “open-minded” or “relevant.” They’re using it throughout their daily lives anyway, so what’s the point of telling them it’s not okay in our class? Are we really that special?
As educators today, we need to understand AI and keep pace with its rapid evolution. We have to see how these tools are changing the way we process information, so we can evolve the manner in which we educate. It’s still our job to teach them.
We just can’t be monolithic teachers at the whiteboard anymore. That’s not going to work.
We’re both EDUCATORS and TECHNOLOGISTS now. We have to keep learning in order to teach. We need to bring technology into our classrooms and integrate it into the learning process. Otherwise, we risk failing ourselves and the very students we’ve set out to educate.
Remember that technology and learning don’t have to wreak havoc on each other. In fact, if we orchestrate them well, they’ll complement each other in ways we haven’t yet imagined.