Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing quickly in all walks of life. Education is no exception. While there are still important questions to work through, it is already being widely used by school systems, teachers, and students at every educational level.
For students with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning differences, the rapid growth of AI brings both opportunity and responsibility, along with a great deal of promise. When used intentionally, it can reduce barriers, increase access to learning, and support independence in ways that were previously impossible. When used incorrectly, however, it can become a shortcut that replaces thinking instead of strengthening it. The difference lies not in the tool itself, but in how students are taught to use it.
As a speech-language pathologist working with students from elementary school through young adulthood, I see AI as a powerful way for students to build skills more independently, access meaningful accommodations, and experience success. It is not a replacement for instruction, effort, or skill development. Instead, when used thoughtfully, AI can help students understand how they learn best and apply strategies that support them across settings.
AI looks different as students grow and learning demands change. Understanding those differences helps teachers and families make thoughtful choices about when and how to use these tools.
Elementary School: Adult-Led Personalization
In elementary school, AI is most effective when adults are the primary users, using it to personalize learning at home and school. At this stage, AI can support foundational skills by making practice more engaging, accessible, and tailored to a child’s interests and learning profile. Examples of AI use at the elementary level include:
- Creating individualized reading word lists for reading instruction and practice
- Generating articulation word lists based on a child’s interests
- Writing or adapting short stories to match a child’s reading level and interests
- Creating visual schedules and routines
- Making homework checklists and step-by-step task visuals to support executive functioning
- Exploring creative tools together, such as art-based AI platforms, to build confidence without academic pressure
- Providing examples and visuals to support math understanding
Important caution: Elementary-aged children should never engage with AI tools independently. Adult supervision is essential to ensure AI supports learning rather than replacing thinking or effort.
Middle School: Using AI to Support Learning
In middle school, academic demands increase sharply, particularly around organization, planning, and independence. At this stage, AI can be used successfully as a learning support tool, helping students understand expectations, organize their work, and apply strategies more independently. With guidance, AI can act like a tutor rather than an answer generator.
Middle school is also a critical time for students to explore how they learn best. Some students benefit from visual explanations, while others learn better through auditory input. Tools that allow students to experiment with different formats can help build self-awareness and confidence as learners. Examples of AI use at the middle school level include:
- Breaking long assignments into manageable steps
- Estimating the time needed for tasks and planning workloads
- Rewording complex directions into clear, student-friendly language
- Explaining academic concepts step-by-step
- Connecting content to personal interests (e.g., relating history concepts to sports or hobbies)
- Simplifying reading passages without changing the meaning
- Generating practice quizzes and vocabulary review questions
- Converting written material into video or audio formats
Important caution: Parents and teachers of middle school students should explicitly teach the difference between using AI as a support and using it to cheat. Students should be able to explain how they used a tool and what thinking they did themselves. AI should never replace comprehension, effort, or personal input.
High School: Growing Independent Learners
By high school, the goal is increased independence. When used responsibly, AI helps students recognize the strategies and accommodations that work best for them and apply those supports across settings. Rather than relying on adults, students begin using AI as tools for independence. Virtual reality tools can further support this growth, especially for students with anxiety, ADHD, or social communication challenges, by allowing them to practice skills in a safe environment before applying them in real-world situations. Examples of appropriate AI use at the high school level include:
- Organizing readings, class notes, videos, and podcasts into detailed notes
- Turning reading material into summaries, videos, or podcasts
- Creating self-generated practice tests and study guides
- Modifying reading assignments for reading level without changing content
- Breaking down complex ideas into relatable explanations
- Creating memory strategies for content and vocabulary
- Receiving targeted feedback on writing using teacher rubrics
- Writing professional emails to teachers
- Practicing job interviews and receiving feedback
- Breaking long-term assignments into manageable chunks
- Taking notes from auditory or video content
- Breaking down multi-step written directions
- Planning daily living tasks (grocery lists, meals, schedules)
- Role-playing difficult conversations with peers or adults
- Using VR-based tools, with guidance, as practice for anxiety-provoking situations
Important caution: High school students must clearly understand what constitutes cheating versus appropriate support. AI should never complete work for them. High school students need to understand the concept of being the “human in the loop.” AI can assist, suggest, and support, but students must always review, edit, reflect, and take ownership of the final product. This distinction must be explicitly taught and modeled.
As parents (and educators), your role is to slow things down just enough to be intentional. When a child is using AI, it helps to pause and ask a few simple questions:
- Is my child still doing the thinking?
- Can they explain how they used the tool?
- Is AI helping them understand the material and not doing the work for them?
When you keep these questions at the center, AI becomes what it should be: a support that builds skills, confidence, and independence, rather than a shortcut that replaces learning.
Deirdre Flores is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) with two decades of practice experience in public schools and private settings. Flores is also the founder of The Teen SLP, a private practice in Westport, CT, designed to provide parents of neurodiverse elementary, middle, and high school students with concrete tools to foster their child’s independence.