AI-Enhanced Trauma-Informed Differentiated Instruction for Neurodiverse Learners: Promoting Mental Health and Resilience in Schools

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are acting like a catalyst whereby educators are integrating AI tools to transform education to help maladapt learners through trauma-informed differentiated instruction that is transforming neurodivergent learners' mental health and resilience through a meaningful degree of improvement. These are learners who are diagnosed to have autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia, and they occupy about 15-20% of the student body worldwide. This review critically evaluates the uses of AI-based platforms, including adaptive learning systems and gamified interfaces, to personalise curricula content to meet sensory and cognitive needs and create equitable and inclusive learning systems. Empirical data in high-income settings, such as Canada, suggest that AI tools do have the potential to enhance student engagement by 16% using real-time content modifications. There are also examples of high involvement of offline capabilities of mobile applications in low-resource countries like sub-Saharan Africa, which has improved participation by 18% and effectively overcame the problem of infrastructure shortages that occur in 40% of schools. The technologies are congruent with the trauma-informed principles, which can reduce stress by up to 20% and enhance self-efficacy by 18% through customised and sensory-friendly experiences, which provide neurodiverse students with power. In South Asia, AI integrating local languages lowered dropout rates by 12%, which is an 18% achievement gap of neurodiverse learners in high-ratio classrooms. Still, there are a number of challenges, such as algorithmic bias, lack of internet connectivity, and under-teacher training; in particular, scaling cannot occur in the areas where only 20%of teachers have inclusive-practice competencies. The future directions bring to the fore the need to support low-bandwidth AI solutions, the cultural design, and hybrid AI-human solutions to achieve sustainable and fair access. Drawing on the evidence-based research on AI worldwide, this article highlights the power of AI in transforming the education sector and recommends policies that focus on ethical design and access to support the neurodiverse population and their mental health and resilience at a global level.