AI will never replace English teachers - it needs them
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming classrooms worldwide – and English language learning is no exception. With AI-powered tools offering round-the-clock access to powerful resources...
Future of English
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping education, offering tools that personalise learning, enhance accessibility, and support teachers. For neurodivergent learners, particularly those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism, AI can be especially impactful. These learners often face challenges with communication, interaction, and self-regulation, yet bring unique strengths to the classroom.
The question is: how can AI help us create environments where neurodivergent learners thrive?
Drawing on my experience as a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Coordinator, teacher trainer, and autistic educator, this article explores practical ways AI can support neurodivergent learners, illustrated by classroom-focused examples, and highlights the opportunities and challenges educators need to consider.
For many autistic learners, navigating social communication is a significant challenge. Generative AI tools can help by supporting scripting, rehearsing conversations in advance.
I worked with a teenage learner who struggled with peer interactions and regulating emotions in unexpected situations. Using Large Language Models (LLMs) such as Chat GPT, we created safe, realistic dialogues such as:
Rehearsing these scenarios privately helped him approach social situations with more confidence and less anxiety. Over time, he engaged more positively with classmates and felt greater control in the classroom.
This reflects Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, particularly offering multiple means of engagement. Practising in a structured, low-pressure environment-built resilience and self-awareness that transferred into real interactions.
AI can also support autistic learners in recognising and managing emotions. Apps such as Emotionary or the Zones of Regulation app use AI-driven visuals to help learners identify feelings and choose regulation strategies. For example, before a group activity, a learner might use the app to check if they are calm, frustrated, or anxious, and then select a strategy such as deep breathing or requesting a break.
Teachers can integrate short 'emotional check-ins' using these tools to smooth transitions and increase participation. By combining social scripting with emotional regulation, AI helps create predictable, structured environments that empower autistic learners to navigate both academic and social demands.
Learners with ADHD may struggle with attention, organisation, and self-regulation. AI can help by providing structure, visual cues, and adaptive support:
Visual timers and remindersTools such as Time Timer or Forest (AI-powered focus apps) allow learners to see time passing in a concrete way. A '10-minute focus sprint' at the start of class, displayed on a shared screen, helps learners anticipate transitions and manage tasks in smaller chunks.
AI tools like Microsoft Copilot or ChatGPT can adapt a long reading text into simplified notes, bullet points, or an audio summary. Before a reading activity, a teacher might provide a simplified AI-generated outline, reducing cognitive load and helping learners engage with key content.
Platforms such as Khan Academy’s AI tutor or Quizlet’s adaptive practice adjust difficulty in real time. A learner might receive additional scaffolded questions while the other tackles extensions. For ADHD learners, this immediate feedback and varied pace sustain motivation and reduce frustration.
Starting a task can be one of the biggest hurdles. ‘Body doubling’, working alongside someone for accountability, can now be replicated online with AI support. Focusmate pairs learners with a virtual partner for timed sessions, while apps like Goblin.tools break tasks into smaller AI-generated steps. In class, teachers can set up a short 15-minute online 'co-working' session where learners share goals, work with a timer, and check in afterwards, a digital version of body doubling.
These tools support immediate participation and foster independent strategies for managing focus and organisation, skills that extend beyond the classroom.
While AI shows promise for neurodivergent learners, it must be used with care:
Teachers interested in exploring AI with neurodivergent learners can start by:
AI offers exciting opportunities for supporting neurodivergent learners, particularly those with ADHD and Autism. From helping autistic learners rehearse social interactions to providing structure and adaptive support for learners with ADHD, AI can make classrooms more inclusive and empowering.
Its success, however, depends on careful, ethical use guided by teacher expertise. AI can enhance inclusion for neurodivergent learners, but only when used critically, collaboratively, and with learner needs at the centre.
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