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How AI can help bridge educational Gaps for British students with special needs
August 26, 2024
Traditional education is designed to work well for neurotypical students, but students who have special educational needs (SEN) deal with distinct challenges that make education more difficult. Problems like inadequate resources and insufficient teacher training are barriers to learning and achievement that can seem insurmountable.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education has the potential to level the playing field and lower these barriers, offering personalised learning experiences and enhanced accessibility. In fact, AI could transform how schools support SEN students and work towards a more inclusive and effective learning environment for all students.
Understanding Special Educational Needs in the UK
Special Educational Needs (SEN) refers to the support needed by children who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn when compared to most children of the same age. SEN encompasses a wide range of conditions, including but not limited to, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and some physical disabilities.
There are 4 main types of special educational needs:
- Communication and Interaction: This includes children with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN), and those with ASD.
- Cognition and Learning: This covers learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and severe learning difficulties.
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH): Children in this category might have conditions like ADHD, depression, or anxiety.
- Sensory and Physical Needs: This includes visual impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI), and physical disabilities.
Current statistics and challenges in the UK education system
In January 2020 there were 1,370,000 school pupils with identified SEN – 15.5% of all pupils, and a large number of these needed an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Despite efforts to provide inclusive education, numerous challenges persist:
- Resource: Schools often struggle with inadequate funding and resources to fully support SEN students.
- Teacher Training: There is a need for specialised and up-to-date training for teachers to address the diverse needs of SEN students effectively.
- Classroom Size: Large.class sizes can make it difficult for teachers to give individual attention to students with SEN.
- Stigma and Social Isolation: SEN students may face social isolation and stigma, which can affect their mental health and educational outcomes.
AI Solutions for SEN Students
Here are some ways AI can make a difference for SEN students:
Personalised Learning: AI generates tailor-made educational content to meet the individual needs of students, learning and adapting to their particular pace and style. AI-driven platforms can also provide customised.exercises for students with dyslexia. Generative AI can allow neurodiverse students to ask questions and get answers worded in a way that allows them to understand more completely.
Accessibility: AI-powered screen reader technologies allow visually impaired learners to use computers by converting text and images into speech or braille. Speech-to-text technologies transcribe teacher’s instructions for hearing impaired students.
Administrative Efficiency: Automating tedious and repetitive tasks with AI frees up time for teachers to focus on teaching and supporting SEN students.
Enhancing Accessibility with AI
AI can bridge gaps in communication and provide tailored educational experiences, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to succeed.
HP Chromebooks provide the perfect, cost-effective device for students that has accessibility features based on user feedback and created using inclusive design principles. HP Chromebooks empower SEN students to learn, play and connect.
AI Applications Supporting Students with Disabilities
Speech-to-Text and Text-to-Speech Technologies
One exciting advancement in AI for accessibility is the development of speech-to-text and text-to-speech technologies. These tools are incredible for students with visual impairments, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities.
- Google Live Transcribe: provides real-time transcription of spoken words, allowing students who are deaf or hard of hearing to follow along in classrooms and participate actively in discussions.
- Microsoft Immersive Reader: Integrated into various Microsoft products, this tool converts text into speech, highlights words as they are read aloud, and offers translations, removing barriers to learning for students with reading difficulties and language barriers.
AI-Powered Educational Platforms
AI-driven platforms offer learning experiences tailored to the individual needs of students with disabilities. Many of them use machine learning algorithms to adapt the content, pace, and teaching methods to fit each learner's unique requirements.
- Century Tech: In the UK, Century Tech blends AI with cognitive neuroscience to create personalised learning plans. It’s especially good for students with autism and ADHD, helping them stay engaged and achieve better academic outcomes.
- Khan Academy: Khan Academy applies AI to adjust lessons based on student performance, offering additional practice and resources where needed. This approach supports SEN students by providing a customised learning journey.
Assistive Robotics
Robots equipped with AI can serve as companions and tutors for students with disabilities, providing both educational and emotional support.
Two types of AI-powered robots have been used in schools to help neurodiverse children engage more effectively in an educational setting.
The NAO robot assists children with autism by teaching social cues and communication skills. Its interactive nature helps engage students in ways that traditional methods may not. Similarly, Leka, an AI-powered robot is designed to support children with developmental disorders. It offers interactive games and activities that help improve motor skills, cognitive abilities, and emotional well-being.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Devices
AAC devices, powered by AI, assist students with speech and language impairments, allowing them to communicate more effectively.
- Tobii Dynavox: These devices use eye-tracking technology to allow students with physical disabilities to control a computer and communicate through text-to-speech. The AI component learns the user’s patterns, making the communication process faster and more intuitive.
- Proloquo2Go: An app that uses AI to predict words and phrases, facilitating smoother and quicker communication for SEN students with speech impairments.
Teacher Support and AI: Enhancing Education for All
Personalised learning experiences are a key benefit of AI in the classroom for SEN students. By quickly analysing a vast amount of data on student performance, learning styles, and preferences to help teachers develop tailored lesson plans that meet the individual needs of each student.
Platforms like Century Tech use AI to combine insights from cognitive neuroscience and data.analytics to customise lesson plans. Teachers can identify the most effective teaching strategies for each student, and learning becomes more engaging and effective. Automating some of the planning processes frees up valuable time for teachers, meaning they can use their time more effectively and focus on interacting with students directly.
HP’s range of Probooks are the perfect laptops for teachers and administrators who want to harness the power of AI. With enough processing power to run several apps at once, and great battery life, they’re perfect for implementing AI into the classroom.
Challenges and Considerations
While AI offers significant benefits, it also raises some tricky ethical questions. In the context of SEN education, AI tools must be used in a way that is fair and inclusive. There is a risk that reliance on AI could exacerbate existing inequalities if not implemented thoughtfully. Teachers and policymakers must ensure that AI applications are designed and used to support all students, without bias or discrimination.
The use of AI in education can also involve collecting and analysing large amounts of student data, which raises concerns about privacy and data security. Safeguarding this data to protect students' privacy and comply with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is incredibly important. The UK government provides guidelines on the use of AI in education to help mitigate some of these risks. Schools and AI providers must work together to ensure robust data protection measures are in place, including encryption, anonymisation, and secure data storage practices.
The Future
The future of AI in SEN education looks promising, with continuous advancements expected to further enhance learning experiences for students with special needs. AI has the potential to offer even more personalised and adaptive learning solutions, making education more accessible and effective for all.
Here are some predictions for developments in AI for education:
Advanced Personalisation: AI will become increasingly adept at creating highly personalised learning experiences that adapt in real-time to each student’s progress and needs.
Improved Assistive Technologies: Innovation in AI-powered assistive devices will continue to enhance communication, mobility, and learning for students with disabilities.
Integration with Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR): Combining AI with VR/AR could provide immersive and interactive learning environments, offering new ways to engage students and cater to diverse learning styles.
Enhanced Teacher Support: AI will offer more sophisticated tools for teachers, including predictive analytics to foresee potential challenges and recommend proactive interventions.
AI is ushering in a new era of accessible and inclusive learning. Harnessing AI tools and technologies means teachers can support students with disabilities in overcoming barriers to learning. These advancements not only enhance the educational experience for students with special needs but also promote equality and inclusivity in the classroom. As AI continues to evolve, its potential to promote equality and inclusivity in the classroom will create a brighter future for all learners.
