What Is AI Assistive Technology in Education?
“Assistive technology is any technology that we use for a student to help them access their curriculum,” says Lauren Murphy Arner, associate director, School Services, at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
AI-powered assistive technology describes tools that use AI to help students with disabilities or learning differences.
“These tools help remove learning barriers — whether a student has a learning disability, is a multilingual learner, has a temporary or situational challenges, or needs additional support,” Quarnstrom says. AI-powered tools serve as a kind of personalized scaffolding around the student.
“Anyone — regardless of disability — can participate in class, express their ideas and demonstrate their knowledge,” Quarnstrom says.
Generative AI tools in particular can support speech and language learning.
“A Gen AI assistant can anticipate what you might want to say next, and you can click on it, which expedites the speed of communication,” Murphy Arner says.
WATCH: Industry experts discuss AI’s 2026 trajectory.
How AI Enhances Traditional Assistive Technologies for Students
AI enhances the capabilities of traditional assistive technologies by layering additional support over those existing tools.
“We’re starting to see AI that can predict what the student is going to type or write, and then it will finish the phrase for them. This will help them with ideation, or generating ideas,” Murphy Arner says. “In the past, you’d see students not provide as much rich detail as they’re capable of providing because it does take such a long time to move through those language systems. With AI, we can see a more meaningful, robust communication.”
Overall, AI strengthens traditional assistive technologies by making them more adaptive, personalized and responsive.
“Instead of providing the same static support to each learner, AI-powered tools adjust in real time to how a student is engaging with content,” Quarnstrom says. “AI can break down complex text, reduce visual crowding, help students maintain focus through features like line highlighting and support deeper comprehension. This can help educators meet diverse needs more efficiently and create a classroom environment where all students can thrive.”
AI-Powered Communication Tools for Students With Disabilities
Some AI assistive tools are standalone products. Others are built into products that schools already license — built-in Gen AI solutions that can be applied directly to software students are already familiar with.
The following are just some of the more common activities and technologies that benefit from AI-powered communication tools:
Task Breakdown and Time Management
“We have a lot of students who have difficulty with executive functions, difficulty looking at a task and knowing the steps to take to complete it,” Murphy Arner says. “They kind of get stuck at that beginning stage.”
Students can leverage Gen AI as a partner starting with a simple prompt: These are the things I have to do today, and I’m having trouble figuring out what to do first.
“Gen AI can break down those tasks for you,” she says. “Some kids need schedules to help them study or to help them with time management. These tools will help optimize your time or give you those task breakdowns for each specific section.”
EXPLORE: AI literacy for K–12 students is top of mind among educators.
Personalized Learning
In the realm of personalized learning, Microsoft, for example, offers a range of AI-powered tools designed to support communication, comprehension and confidence for students with diverse needs, Quarnstrom says. Immersive Reader is an example.
“It helps support reading comprehension through features like text decoding, syllable breakdown, adjustable spacing and line focus,” Quarnstrom says. Students can also utilize Reading Coach, which is “an AI-powered tool to help students build reading fluency and confidence by providing personalized practice and feedback in a safe, moderated environment.”
Speech-Generating Devices
AI is helping to ease communications for those who are minimally verbal or who prefer to use a speech-generating device instead of using verbal speech.
“A few years ago, we had these huge, very expensive speech-generating devices, and these still exist for some people that need them,” Murphy Arner says. “But AI is changing the field.”
With AI capabilities, speech generation is smoother and swifter. The speed at which Gen AI can generate speech provides meaningful benefits to educators and staff who work directly with students.
“It is really taking some of the mental load off of those of us who are serving these people, not to mention the people actually using the technology,” she says.
Translation and Accessibility
AI-supported language tools represent another significant resource for improving inclusion in K–12 learning environments.
“Students and educators can access real-time translations, captions and multimodal communication supports, like dictation with advanced spelling and grammar checks and word suggestions,” Quarnstrom says. “These are especially helpful for students with language, sensory or communication needs, ensuring they can fully understand and participate in class activities without stigma.”
SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to get the latest EdTech content delivered to your inbox weekly.
