AI as an Education Equalizer

Several years ago, when I was an Upper School academic dean and teacher at Lawrence School — an independent K-12 school outside Cleveland for students with learning differences (LDs) — I posed the following questions at a faculty meeting: 

Who feels excited by the possibilities of AI? (Very few educators raised their hands.)

Who feels nervous about what’s to come with AI? (A majority in the room raised a hand.) 

Today, while educators, administrators, and students everywhere are more squarely in the thrust of AI than ever, ambivalence and uncertainty prevail. LD school educators have particularly complicated feelings. Why? AI has the potential to rewrite the narrative of how kids with learning differences experience school. What teacher wouldn’t be curious and hopeful about that possibility? And yet, many are conscious — and concerned — about the possible pitfalls.

As the Executive Director of the Association of LD Schools (ALDS), I am now privileged to enjoy a broader view of the successes and struggles of LD schools across the country. The topic of AI arises often in our roundtable discussions, affinity groups, and speaker series. In fact, last year, ALDS partnered with ATLIS (The Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools) to produce a guidebook to AI and assistive tech for schools. As the technology evolves, so, too, does the ongoing conversation. 

Here’s where I notice excitement: 

AI Allows Students to Showcase Their Strengths

For many students with learning differences, a gap exists between what they know and what they can easily show. A student may have sophisticated ideas but struggle to express them in writing. Another may deeply understand a novel but find reading it independently overwhelming. AI has the potential to narrow the gap. When used appropriately, in conjunction with structured literacy interventions, AI can help students communicate their thinking, organize their ideas, and demonstrate their knowledge in ways that more accurately reflect their abilities. Perhaps most importantly, AI allows educators and peers to focus less on what students struggle to do and more on what they are capable of achieving.

AI Fosters Independence

One of the most exciting possibilities of AI is its potential to empower students to become more independent learners. For decades, students with learning differences have often relied on their parents, teachers, specialists, and tutors to bridge gaps in reading, writing, and executive functioning. AI tools can provide support in real time, helping students summarize information, organize ideas, break down complex tasks, and communicate their thinking more effectively.

Importantly, AI tools do not replace the expert instruction, relationships, and individualized support that students need to develop foundational skills. Rather, they can extend this work beyond the classroom, helping students apply what they have learned with greater confidence and autonomy as they move toward college, careers, and adulthood.

AI Unlocks Educational Access
Thanks in large part to AI and the tools of educational and assistive technology, learning is more accessible for kids with LDs, leveling the playing field. Obstacles that would have been impenetrable barriers in the past — like reading a 320-page novel in two weeks, for example, or writing a term paper — are now maneuverable speed bumps.

But the true promise of AI extends beyond access alone. When students spend less energy overcoming barriers, they can devote more attention to critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and deeper learning. In many cases, AI allows students to demonstrate what they know and understand in ways that more accurately reflect their abilities, helping educators to focus on student potential rather than limitations.

AI Reduces Stigma and Exclusion 

As a result of greater access to learning, AI has a systemic effect on long-held stereotypes. The belief that students with dyslexia, for example, are not as capable as neurotypical students is beginning to fray. As the technology — and our ability to harness it effectively — improves, students with dyslexia can succeed side-by-side with their non-dyslexic peers.

Here’s where I notice worry:

Maintaining Productive Struggle

How can we leverage AI wisely? For LD educators, productive struggle is a critical skill to nurture in students, paving the way for greater problem-solving, independence, and lifelong learning. The worry is that relying on AI as a crutch through this difficult work could lead to dependency, helplessness, and disengagement. Grade level is a significant determining factor when tackling this concern. Many high school educators are more willing to experiment with AI. In elementary and middle school, when foundational skills like decoding are being built, teachers have more questions about its responsible use.

Establishing Smart Guidelines 

How can we institute good policy around AI, so teachers feel empowered and confident, not apprehensive, and students learn how to use it effectively? LD educators agree that putting AI in the hands of a 3rd grader with dyslexia who needs true, structured literacy would be a disservice. But what about a 14-year-old? At what age does introducing AI provide support, and at what age does it cause developmental harm? Does it make sense to ask students to share their ChatGPT transcripts with teachers, and evaluate the sources they’re finding through AI? In short, teachers are craving more robust guidance around how and when to use AI responsibly and strategically — and how to instruct their students to do the same. 

Prioritizing Educator Support

How should I use AI in my classroom? In tandem with smart policy is ongoing support for educators in how they can leverage AI ethically and effectively. AI is a powerful tool to help teachers — and special educators, in particular — streamline workflow, tailor instruction, strategize interventions, and mitigate burnout. But they need training and support to understand which AI tools to use and how to use them. 

One thing is certain: For LD educators and the students they serve, the future is exciting. Not since the birth of the Internet and 1:1 programs have we experienced this degree of promise and positivity in education. Yes, uncertainty remains, but the potential of AI to alter the trajectory for kids with learning differences is unequivocal. 

And in many ways, ALDS schools have been preparing for this moment for decades. We have long wrestled with questions around accessibility, accommodation, independence, and the responsible use of technology. As AI becomes increasingly prevalent in education, ALDS schools are uniquely positioned to help lead the conversation—not because we have all the answers, but because we've been asking the right questions for a very long time.

→ Check out posts from our member schools — The Carroll School, The John Crosland School, The Landmark School, and The Windward School — who have written about the impact of AI on students with LDs.