AI Tools for Students with Learning Differences

In US schools, supports for students with disabilities usually run through two frameworks. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students who qualify for special education have an Individualized Education Program, and IEP teams must consider whether each child needs assistive technology. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act covers students whose disability substantially limits a major life activity, often through a 504 plan listing accommodations. The distinction between accommodations and modifications matters. An accommodation changes how a student learns or shows learning, such as listening to text instead of reading print. A modification changes what the student is expected to learn. Most AI supports are accommodations: they keep the goal and remove a barrier. Familiar tools include Microsoft Immersive Reader, which reads text aloud, highlights words, splits syllables and offers line focus; Texthelp Read&Write; accessible book libraries such as Learning Ally and Bookshare for readers with qualifying print disabilities; and built-in dictation in Google Docs and Microsoft Word. Generative AI adds summarizers, tools that break tasks into steps, and writing assistants that suggest structure. For dyslexia, text-to-speech lets students access grade-level ideas while they continue to build decoding skills. It is an access tool and does not replace structured reading instruction. For ADHD, the main value is executive function support: chunking tasks, estimating time and keeping a visible plan. Misconceptions run both ways. Using text-to-speech is not cheating when the goal is understanding content rather than decoding. But AI summaries can drop important details, and a writing assistant that rewrites whole paragraphs can hide what the student can actually do. Rules for which supports are allowed on state tests vary, so check before relying on a tool in class. Disability information is also sensitive and belongs out of consumer AI prompts.