The reality is that most of us have been using AI for some time now … Do you use Maps on your smartphone? … Has your child used Text-to-Speech? … Ever asked Siri a question?
–“Reading, Writing, and AI,” article written by BridgingApps for Parenting Special Needs magazine
Artificial intelligence (AI) is more “everyday” than you might think. “AI” means any software with capacities resembling human thought patterns—learning, deciding, problem-solving, etc.—and that’s one feature that makes today’s apps so effective.
Including assistive-technology (AT) apps for students with learning disabilities. The 2025–26 school year has just started, and it’s not too late to think about including AI tools in your child’s education plan.
AI for Schoolwork
BridgingApps recommends the following tools (which are further explored in the Parenting Special Needs article quoted above).
- Endless Learning Academy, a subscription-based app for children ages 3–12, uses animated characters and fun activities to teach academic skills. Lessons are provided for a variety of interests and needs.
- Knowt is famous for its digital-flashcards approach. Its AI features include customized cards and lecture summary.
- Microsoft Edge is a web browser marketed as “your personal AI assistant for smarter, more productive browsing.” It’s operable by keyboard or voice, and can also create content and images.
- The Monster at the End is a Sesame Street interactive digital storybook (there are others, including Another Monster at the End). Features include touchscreen-operated animations and a “hints for parents” section.
- The My PlayHome apps, including My PlayHome School, simulate common real-life environments for children up to 8 years old.
- Photomath helps students of all ages learn math by walking them visually through equations. The app can solve any problem from basic addition and subtraction, up to the algebra/geometry level.
AI, AT, and Your Child’s IEP
Important note: using an app for schoolwork doesn’t always mean using it in school. Texas public schools (and many other schools/districts) have rules against personal devices on campus; so for your child to use any app during the school day, you’ll likely have to prove medical need and get the details written into your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). (Our post on “The Challenge of Invisible AT” has some suggestions on that.)
Even outside school hours, the question of “is it cheating to use high-tech tools for homework?” can surface. It didn’t start with ChatGPT, either: way back in 1958, a kids’ novel called Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine (by Jay Williams and Raymond Abrashkin) featured a boy who has access to one of the earliest computers because his mother works for the inventor. After Danny’s teacher hears that he’s been using the computer for math homework, he protests that he’s still doing the work of inputting instructions, and the machine is a legitimate labor-saving device. To which the teacher replies that he has a point; but to be fair to the other students who don’t have computers, he’ll now have to do more and harder homework than everyone else.
Educators have since learned that being fair to every student works both ways: where typical schoolwork is harder due to disability, tools not available to others are often necessary. Make sure that any AI program used for schoolwork is cleared with your child’s IEP team and included in the official plan. It’ll save possible confusion later.