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Consider This from NPR

Could artificial intelligence improve special education?

Consider This from NPR

NPR

News Commentary, Daily News, News, Society & Culture

4.26.2K Ratings

🗓️ 20 May 2026

⏱️ 9 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Special education teachers are using artificial intelligence to manage crushing paperwork. Could it help instructors spend more time with their students?


Millions of students qualify for special education and they need qualified  teachers to help them.

But burnout for these teachers has caused many to leave the profession – one reason –  the paperwork 

Now, a growing number of special educators are using A-I to speed up that paperwork and some research shows that despite the risks – it could help them spend more time with students.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam. 

It was edited by Steven Drummond, Nirvi Shah and Courtney Dorning. 

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

It's consider this, where every day we go deep on one big news story.

0:04.8

Today, how AI is helping special education teachers.

0:08.7

More and more students are qualifying for special education more than 8 million students.

0:14.1

But there aren't enough teachers serving them.

0:16.5

Special education teachers have for years been in short supply all around the country. And they

0:21.8

say one reason they feel overworked is the paperwork. Here's special education teacher Paul Stone.

0:27.6

This job is this year, it's, I don't want to say killing me, but it has put a huge stressor

0:33.9

on my mental health, to be honest. It would be kind of nice if there were two jobs, like one paperwork job and one working with the kids.

0:42.0

Now special education teachers are using AI to help them with the mountains of paperwork they are legally

0:47.7

required to do.

0:50.4

Consider this. Could artificial intelligence help special educators spend more time with their students?

0:57.7

From NPR, I'm Scott Detrow.

1:09.7

It's considered this from NPR.

1:12.6

Millions of students qualify for special education, and they need qualified teachers to help them.

1:18.0

But burnout for these teachers has caused many to leave the profession.

1:21.3

And one reason is the paperwork.

1:23.4

Now a growing number of special educators are using AI to speed up that paperwork,

1:28.0

and some research shows that despite the risks, it could help them spend more time with students.

1:34.0

NPR's Jonakimeta spoke to special educators around the country using AI, including one California teacher.

1:39.5

Good morning, princessita.

1:42.2

Hi.

1:42.8

Mary Asibu has been a special education teacher at Riverview Middle School for a decade.

...

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