An AI-mediated communication scaffold for preserving participation in inclusive remote schooling: A single-case study

Background Inclusive remote schooling creates specific participation barriers for learners who can formulate communicative intent but require additional time to express it during synchronous interaction. Aim of the study This study aimed to examine the conditions under which participation can be preserved for a learner with motor–speech latency through the use of an AI-mediated communication scaffold (specifically utilizing the ChatGPT interface under human regulation). Methods A single-case A–B–C design was implemented in a wartime remote schooling context within an institutional psycho-pedagogical support system under wartime-related conditions of interactional instability. The study was informed by official diagnostic and educational recommendations and guided by a structured operational protocol of AI-mediated participation. Results Participation scores varied across phases (A: 0.88; B: 1.30; C: 1.05). AI-mediated support did not exceed human mediation and remained sensitive to contextual wartime disruptions, but it contributed to maintaining interactional continuity under latency-sensitive conditions and supported coordinated team action. Conclusion In this case, AI functioned not as an instructional tool, but as a regulated communication scaffold aimed at preserving participation and stabilizing interaction. The findings suggest that participation in digital inclusion depends substantially on the temporal, ethical , and organizational conditions of interaction.