child education
Special Education Is Turning to AI to Fill Staffing Gaps—But Privacy and Bias Risks Remain
With special education staffing shortages worsening, schools are using AI to draft IEPs, support training, and assist assessments. Experts warn the benefits come with major risks—privacy, bias, and trust.
Seth King, University of Iowa
In special education in the U.S., funding is scarce and personnel shortages are pervasive, leaving many school districts struggling to hire qualified and willing practitioners.
Amid these long-standing challenges, there is rising interest in using artificial intelligence tools to help close some of the gaps that districts currently face and lower labor costs.
Over 7 million children receive federally funded entitlements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which guarantees students access to instruction tailored to their unique physical and psychological needs, as well as legal processes that allow families to negotiate support. Special education involves a range of professionals, including rehabilitation specialists, speech-language pathologists and classroom teaching assistants. But these specialists are in short supply, despite the proven need for their services.
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.
Yet some in the field are opting to test out AI tools, rather than waiting for a perfect solution.
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.
But persistent workforce shortages mean districts often struggle to complete assessments, update plans and integrate input from parents. Most districts develop IEPs using software that requires practitioners to choose from a generalized set of rote responses or options, leading to a level of standardization that can fail to meet a child’s true individual needs.
Preliminary research has shown that large language models such as ChatGPT can be adept at generating key special education documents such as IEPs by drawing on multiple data sources, including information from students and families. Chatbots that can quickly craft IEPs could potentially help special education practitioners better meet the needs of individual children and their families. Some professional organizations in special education have even encouraged educators to use AI for documents such as lesson plans.
Training and diagnosing disabilities
There is also potential for AI systems to help support professional training and development. My own work on personnel development combines several AI applications with virtual reality to enable practitioners to rehearse instructional routines before working directly with children. Here, AI can function as a practical extension of existing training models, offering repeated practice and structured support in ways that are difficult to sustain with limited personnel.
Some districts have begun using AI for assessments, which can involve a range of academic, cognitive and medical evaluations. AI applications that pair automatic speech recognition and language processing are now being employed in computer-mediated oral reading assessments to score tests of student reading ability.
Practitioners often struggle to make sense of the volume of data that schools collect. AI-driven machine learning tools also can help here, by identifying patterns that may not be immediately visible to educators for evaluation or instructional decision-making. Such support may be especially useful in diagnosing disabilities such as autism or learning disabilities, where masking, variable presentation and incomplete histories can make interpretation difficult. My ongoing research shows that current AI can make predictions based on data likely to be available in some districts.
Privacy and trust concerns
There are serious ethical – and practical – questions about these AI-supported interventions, ranging from risks to students’ privacy to machine bias and deeper issues tied to family trust. Some hinge on the question of whether or not AI systems can deliver services that truly comply with existing law.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires nondiscriminatory methods of evaluating disabilities to avoid inappropriately identifying students for services or neglecting to serve those who qualify. And the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act explicitly protects students’ data privacy and the rights of parents to access and hold their children’s data.
What happens if an AI system uses biased data or methods to generate a recommendation for a child? What if a child’s data is misused or leaked by an AI system? Using AI systems to perform some of the functions described above puts families in a position where they are expected to put their faith not only in their school district and its special education personnel, but also in commercial AI systems, the inner workings of which are largely inscrutable.
These ethical qualms are hardly unique to special ed; many have been raised in other fields and addressed by early-adopters. For example, while automatic speech recognition, or ASR, systems have struggled to accurately assess accented English, many vendors now train their systems to accommodate specific ethnic and regional accents.
But ongoing research work suggests that some ASR systems are limited in their capacity to accommodate speech differences associated with disabilities, account for classroom noise, and distinguish between different voices. While these issues may be addressed through technical improvement in the future, they are consequential at present.
Embedded bias
At first glance, machine learning models might appear to improve on traditional clinical decision-making. Yet AI models must be trained on existing data, meaning their decisions may continue to reflect long-standing biases in how disabilities have been identified.
Indeed, research has shown that AI systems are routinely hobbled by biases within both training data and system design. AI models can also introduce new biases, either by missing subtle information revealed during in-person evaluations or by overrepresenting characteristics of groups included in the training data.
Such concerns, defenders might argue, are addressed by safeguards already embedded in federal law. Families have considerable latitude in what they agree to, and can opt for alternatives, provided they are aware they can direct the IEP process.
By a similar token, using AI tools to build IEPs or lessons may seem like an obvious improvement over underdeveloped or perfunctory plans. Yet true individualization would require feeding protected data into large language models, which could violate privacy regulations. And while AI applications can readily produce better-looking IEPs and other paperwork, this does not necessarily result in improved services.
Filling the gap
Indeed, it is not yet clear whether AI provides a standard of care equivalent to the high-quality, conventional treatment to which children with disabilities are entitled under federal law.
The Supreme Court in 2017 rejected the notion that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act merely entitles students to trivial, “de minimis” progress, which weakens one of the primary rationales for pursuing AI – that it can meet a minimum standard of care and practice. And since AI really has not been empirically evaluated at scale, it has not been proved that it adequately meets the low bar of simply improving beyond the flawed status quo.
But this does not change the reality of limited resources. For better or worse, AI is already being used to fill the gap between what the law requires and what the system actually provides.
Seth King, Associate Profess of Special Education, University of Iowa
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Family
6 Hacks to Prep Your Mudroom for Back-to-School Season
When school is back in session, it means a lot of coming and going to and from your home – often in a rush. Start with these mudroom organization and habit hacks to make your family’s daily routines a little easier.
(Feature Impact) When school is back in session, it means a lot of coming and going to and from your home – often in a rush. Smooth out those morning scrambles and save yourself some afternoon cleanups by turning your mudroom into a space that feels more organized and less chaotic.
Start with these mudroom organization and habit hacks to make your family’s daily routines a little easier.
Do a Beginning-of-Year Declutter
If the coat hooks are still sporting rain jackets the kids outgrew several seasons ago, that’s your sign to plan a purge. Out with the old, in with the new: collect last year’s coats, too-small shoes, the backpack with the broken zipper, worn-out accessories and that pile of junk mail then figure out what to keep, toss and donate.
Create a “Get-Out-The-Door” Spot for Essentials
“Have you seen my…” is a sentence you can only stand to hear (and say) so many times in one morning. Set up shelves or baskets for important items like keys, permission slips, library books, water bottles, lunchboxes, sports gear and anything else that needs to leave the house with the family. Repetition will build the habit, and even if things still get lost from time to time, this system gives everyone a first place to look.
Choose a Shoe System
Whether you’re a shoe rack kind of family or you’ve got DIY dreams of building an aesthetic wooden bench with shoe storage underneath, lock it in. Shoes are easy for kids to kick off when they get home, and if they aren’t sure where to put them, they’ll remain wherever they land or pile up by the door. Also consider putting down washable mats so grime doesn’t accumulate on your rack or floor.
Give Each Child a Designated Drop Zone
It’s easier for kids to stay organized when they have their own dedicated spaces to hang up jackets, set down backpacks, put shoes and store everyday essentials. Provide each child with their own coat hooks, cubbies, bins or lockers. Build them at kid-friendly heights and make it fun by letting everyone decorate their own zone.
Have Options Ready for Bad Weather
With a little advanced planning, you can prevent your mudroom from living up to its name. Set up a rainy-day corner with an umbrella stand, boot tray, towel basket and hooks or racks to hang damp outerwear. Keep a laundry hamper in the mudroom, too, so wet clothes and dirty uniforms don’t migrate through the house.
Label Storage Areas Clearly
Nearly everyone’s been there: you start a new organization system feeling efficient and optimistic, then over time, memories lapse and it descends back into anarchy. Labels may not stop this from happening every time, but at least they might make kids stop and consider whether their books should go in the basket labeled “Books” or on top of the shoe rack. That’s one step closer to restoring order.
For more back-to-school tips and tricks, visit eLivingToday.com.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
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child education
Top 5 Tips for Teaching Kids Modern Money Lessons in the Digital Age
Teaching Kids Modern Money Lessons: Helping kids feel confident about money can start with simple, everyday experiences. Giving kids opportunities to practice earning, saving, spending and making choices with money can help them build skills and confidence, even as more of their financial lives become digital.
Top 5 Tips for Teaching Kids Modern Money Lessons in the Digital Age
(Feature Impact) Helping kids feel confident about money can start with simple, everyday experiences. That can be especially important today, when children may hear different messages about money from parents, friends and financial influencers on social media. Giving kids opportunities to practice earning, saving, spending and making choices with money can help them build skills and confidence, even as more of their financial lives become digital.
Parents don’t need to be financial experts to help children develop healthy money habits. Starting conversations early and giving kids opportunities to practice skills like budgeting, saving and investing can prepare them to make thoughtful financial decisions as they grow. Consider these tips from the experts at Charles Schwab, which provides a full range of brokerage, banking and financial advisory services, to help build kids’ financial knowledge and confidence.
- Start with Hands-On Activities
As children grow, the way parents teach them about money should grow with them. Young kids can start by filling piggy banks or savings jars with coins and cash. As they get older, help them open bank accounts to see how their balances change over time. Introduce budgeting by letting kids make some of their own spending decisions, such as choosing a snack or deciding whether to go to a movie or save for new headphones. Older kids can get involved in family decisions, such as planning a weekend trip within a set budget.
- Encourage Smart Saving and Investing Habits
Learning to save and invest early can help kids see how financial decisions pay off over time. Start with a savings account and show them how compound interest can help their money grow. As kids enter their teen years, look for ways to give them hands-on experience with investing. A teen investing account can give young people a real-world opportunity to research investments, make decisions and learn how to manage money with a parent’s guidance and oversight, helping them better understand risk and reward while building financial skills and confidence.
- Teach Teens About Debt and Credit
Before teens begin using credit themselves, help them understand what borrowing actually costs. A credit card may make a purchase feel easy in the moment, but interest and fees can make that purchase more expensive if the balance isn’t paid off. Talk about the importance of living within their means, how credit scores work and how interest and late fees can cause debt to grow. Real-life examples, such as comparing the cost of paying for something now versus the cost of carrying a balance, can make these lessons easier to understand.
- Introduce Kid-Friendly Digital Tools
For today’s kids, learning about money also means learning how to manage it digitally. When children are old enough to have their own devices or use a parent’s device with supervision, introduce them to age-appropriate banking and budgeting tools. Show them how to check a balance, track spending and follow progress toward a savings goal. These everyday experiences help connect the money lessons they learn at home with the tools they’ll likely use as adults.
- Keep Talking About Money
Building financial confidence doesn’t happen through one conversation. Make money an ongoing, age-appropriate topic by asking kids what they think about spending and saving, and what short- and long-term goals matter to them. Invite them to ask questions and, when appropriate, include them in everyday household money decisions. Giving kids a safe place to learn and make choices (and sometimes mistakes) can help them become more comfortable managing money.
Learn more modern strategies for teaching kids and teens financial literacy at SchwabMoneywise.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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More Than Hair: How the Back-to-School Haircut Impacts Confidence
(Feature Impact) For years, parents make nearly every style decision for their children – from first-day outfits to picture-day haircuts. Then, almost overnight, those little ones develop opinions of their own about what to wear and how to style their hair.
As boys enter middle and high school, 84% of parents notice their sons care significantly or somewhat more about their appearance, based on results of a survey conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of Sport Clips Haircuts, a sports-themed haircutting franchise specializing in haircuts for men and boys.
What’s more, according to the American Psychological Association, physical appearance is an important part of adolescent identity, helping young people express themselves while also navigating social expectations and peer relationships. Those expectations have added more pressure on children and teens to present themselves well as nearly three-quarters of parents surveyed (71%) said boys today face more pressure to look put-together going into a new school year than they remember from their own school years.
Haircuts are Becoming Part of Back-to-School Checklists
While shopping for school supplies, organizing backpacks and choosing first-day outfits are all familiar traditions ahead of a new school year, scheduling a haircut is increasingly part of the back-to-school agenda. While 20% of parents surveyed notice their child shift back into school mode when they pick out their first-day outfit, and another 19% said it’s when their sons pack or organize their bags, 71% said getting their son a fresh haircut or new hairstyle has become a reliable part of their back-to-school routine.
In fact, more than one-third of parents said their preteen or teenage sons are the ones asking for a back-to-school haircut. Another 22% said they bring it up around the same time, meaning more than half of boys are already thinking about how they’ll show up on the first day.
The Connection Between Appearance and Confidence
Ninety-five percent of parents surveyed said the way their son feels about his appearance influences how confidently he approaches school, sports and social activities. As boys age and want to choose their own style, a haircut is only one piece of the equation. Allowing them to choose clothes they feel comfortable wearing as well as having conversations about what they’re looking forward to (and what they’re nervous about) as another school year begins are also part of the preparations that can help boost self-esteem before they ever walk through the school doors.
The Hairstyles Boys are Asking for This Year
If you thought parents’ opinions about theirs sons’ haircuts mattered, think again. More than half of boys ages 11-17 know exactly what haircut they want before the school year begins. Parents report many are inspired by celebrities, athletes or digital creators.
According to the survey, 30% of boys want a tapered fade like the one U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese wore during the 2026 World Cup. Nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents said their child wants a classic cut, similar to YouTuber Caylus Cunningham. Only 10% of boys are requesting a longer or shaggy style, like actor Jacob Elordi, and even fewer are looking for fringe bangs; the “broccoli cut,” which is short on the sides and curly on top; or a buzz cut.
Whether it’s a subtle trim or a completely new style, the back-to-school haircut has evolved into one of the first opportunities each school year for boys to express themselves. Learn more about this year’s trends, and schedule an appointment ahead of the school year, at sportclipsinc.com.
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