Artificial Intelligence in Special Education: Exploring Opportunities and Challenges for Teaching Children with Autism

Artificial Intelligence (AI) was regarded as a new technology in special education and potential to support the learning, communication, and Individual Educational Plans (IEP) needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects social communication and interaction, as well as restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. The purpose of this research was to examine how special education teachers and school administrators can benefit from artificial intelligence in teaching children with autism and the potential barriers. In this study the method used was a qualitative exploratory research design. The type of data collection method is suggested to be semi-structured interviews and sampling technique will be purposive sampling to find the selected people that has relevant knowledge and experience in autism education. The study was designed using the theoretical model of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) which highlighted the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use in technology acceptance. The analysis was organised around the five broad themes of AI-assisted learning, communication support, personalised learning, teacher and institutional readiness, and challenges and ethical concerns. To gain insights into patterns in how special education teachers and school administrators perceive the integration of AI, sample responses from 12 special education teachers and 8 school administrators were used in the development of thematic analysis. The results indicated the need for interactive learning, practice, visual communication tools, adaptive learning activities, and individualized instruction as potential factors indicating support for children with autism. The analysis also revealed potential challenges to teacher training, technological skills, institutional resources, financial constraints, data privacy and trustworthiness of AI-generated data. Importance of professional development, institutional support, ethical safeguards, and ongoing human supervision in the responsible use of AI in special education was emphasized. It also proposed that AI can be used as an educational aid to help foster inclusive and individual learning experiences for children with autism, but not as a replacement for teachers. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Special Education, AI-Assisted Learning, Communication Support, Personalized Instruction.