AI and neurodiversity: supporting learners with ADHD and Autism

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. 

How AI can support autistic learners

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: 

• 'Give me different ways to respond if someone is rude to me in class.
  

• 'Can you act like a classmate who is upset with me? I want to practise responding calmly.'  

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. 

Emotional literacy and regulation 

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. 

How AI can support learners with ADHD 

Learners with ADHD may struggle with attention, organisation, and self-regulation. AI can help by providing structure, visual cues, and adaptive support: 

Tools 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. 

Considerations 

While AI shows promise for neurodivergent learners, it must be used with care: 

• Bias and representation: narrow datasets risk overlooking neurodivergent perspectives, leading to unhelpful or inaccurate outputs.
  

• Digital equity: unequal access to devices and the internet can widen gaps in opportunity.
  

• Privacy and safeguarding: learner data must be protected, and AI outputs carefully checked before use.
  
• Teacher readiness: educators need training not just in tool use, but in evaluating them critically and ethically for SEND contexts.

Practical Steps for Educators 

Teachers interested in exploring AI with neurodivergent learners can start by: 

1. Trying simple tools: begin with text-to-speech, visual timers, or AI-generated social scripts.
   
2. Co-creating with learners: involve them in choosing tools and formats that support their needs.
3. Collaborating with families: sharing AI strategies with parents ensures continuity beyond the classroom.
   
4. Evaluating critically: check AI outputs for accuracy, fairness, and sensitivity before sharing.
   
5. Embedding training: advocate for professional development that builds teacher confidence and AI literacy. 
   

Summary 

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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