Supporting learners who have special educational needs : How and why using digital technologies, including generative artificial intelligence, can help

The first Northern Ireland Department of Education policy objective for special educational needs (SEN) is that schools can meet the needs of pupils with SEN and teachers and support staff, are supported to implement child-centred, effective, evidence-based interventions (Department of Education, 2025). This paper addresses some specific child-centred, effective and evidence-based practices in the adoption and use of digital technologies, including generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), to support young people in special schools (7,462 in Northern Ireland in 2025) in the areas of communication and interaction, cognition and learning, social, emotional and mental health difficulties and sensory and/or physical needs. While multiple special needs presented in the examples here will not necessarily be found in all schools, specific aspects could well be encountered and may therefore be relevant to support inclusion for learners with special needs in mainstream classrooms (58,211 in Northern Ireland in 2025) and in specialist provision in mainstream schools (4,559 in Northern Ireland in 2025).