AI Tools for Special Education: 7 Compared

Which AI tool helps with reading access, adapted texts, IEP and EHCP paperwork or visual supports? Each pick shows who it suits, what it costs to try and where it falls short.

By Dan Fitzpatrick, teacher, AI education specialist and bestselling author. Last updated . 143 tools and 499 educator reviews in the directory.

Short answer: the best AI tool for special education depends on the job. Read&Write suits literacy access, Diffit adapts texts to reading levels, Glint makes visual supports, and MagicSchool can draft an IEP to edit. Sendix and Baobab focus on EHCP and SEND paperwork in the UK, and FrenalyticsEDU tracks IEP goals in the US. A qualified person must review every plan.

How we chose: all seven are listed in the AI Educator Tools directory and each has a public product page, which we read on 21 October 2026 to check what it does, whether a free way in exists and what the vendor says about human review. Privacy answers are declared by each company on its listing and are not a legal certification. Where a listing leaves a privacy field blank, we say so.

One rule applies to every tool here. AI can help with the paperwork and the preparation, but it cannot know a child. The professional who knows the pupil decides what goes into a plan, and the statutory process stays with the school and local authority.

What this guide can and cannot tell you

Use this directory to build a shortlist, not as a compliance decision. Tool details and policies change, and your institution remains responsible for its own legal, safeguarding, procurement and accessibility checks.

  • Editorial picks are selected by AI Educator Tools. Star ratings and written reviews are separate contributions from signed-in community members; we moderate submissions but do not claim that every reviewer’s professional identity has been independently verified.
  • GDPR, COPPA and FERPA labels report what a vendor declares. A 9ine badge means a separate 9ine assessment has been completed; neither label is a legal guarantee that a tool or a particular deployment is compliant.
  • Counts on this page are live counts of public listings and reviews in this directory. They are not estimates of the total number of products, users or reviews in the wider education technology market.
  • Paid tiers and featured positions are labelled. Commercial arrangements do not change community ratings, remove critical reviews or determine the editorial picks on this guide.

Official privacy and data-protection guidance

Check the rules and guidance that apply in your jurisdiction and ask your institution's responsible staff before processing student data.

The seven AI tools for special education

Ordered by job, from everyday access tools to plan paperwork and progress monitoring. Prices and free plans were checked on each vendor's own site on 21 October 2026 and can change.

  1. 1. Read&Write

    Best for: Reading, writing and study support for pupils with dyslexia and other literacy needs

    A literacy toolbar with text-to-speech, a screenshot reader for images and scanned PDFs, speech-to-text, word prediction and a tool that simplifies complex text. The vendor says it is for students of all abilities and highlights dyslexia, ADHD, dysgraphia and multilingual learners. Its product page says K-12 teachers get free access, with paid plans from $2.75 per seat. The listing carries an independent 9ine assessment and educators rate it 4.5 from 2 reviews on this site. Main limitation: some features need an internet connection, and in formal exams features such as word prediction must be switched off and access arrangements applied for.

    Special Education and Accessibility · Freemium · 4.5/5 from 2 educator reviews · 9ine security assessed

  2. 2. Diffit

    Best for: Adapting reading material to different reading levels for SEN, EAL and intervention groups

    Turns a topic or an existing text into versions at different reading levels, with optional settings for language, scaffolds and support tier. The vendor names special education, ELL and intervention settings among its use cases, and outputs stay editable. A free Basic plan exists. Educators rate it 4.2 from 5 reviews on this site. Main limitation: the free plan only keeps content made in the last 90 days and leaves out exports to Google and Microsoft formats and standards alignment, which need a teacher or school licence. The listing does not state privacy answers.

    Lesson Planning and Resource Creation · Freemium · 4.2/5 from 5 educator reviews

  3. 3. MagicSchool

    Best for: Drafting an IEP or support plan to edit, alongside everyday planning tools

    Includes an IEP Generator that the vendor describes as generating a draft of an IEP customised to a student's needs, among its wider set of teacher tools. The vendor offers a free sign-up for teachers. It has an independent 9ine assessment and educators rate it 4.74 from 19 reviews on this site. Main limitation: it is a general platform, not a specialist SEN system, and the vendor page does not say what the free plan includes, so check its pricing page. Treat any draft as a starting point that the SENCO or special education teacher must rewrite and approve.

    Lesson Planning and Resource Creation · Freemium · 4.7/5 from 19 educator reviews · 9ine security assessed

  4. 4. Glint

    Best for: Visual supports: communication boards, visual schedules and social stories

    Creates communication boards, visual schedules and social stories from a short prompt, with spoken output in more than 60 languages, editing by describing the change and print-ready PDF export. Therapists and speech and language staff are named as users. The listing declares US hosting and GDPR, FERPA and COPPA compliance, and says it does not collect student data. Main limitation: free-plan terms are not stated on the vendor page, there are no educator reviews on this site yet, and you must check every generated symbol and image suits the pupil before use.

    Lesson Planning and Resource Creation · Freemium · Declared: GDPR, COPPA, FERPA

  5. 5. Sendix

    Best for: SENCOs checking EHCPs, Child's Plans and IEPs for vague or undeliverable wording

    Checks plan wording against the SEND Code of Practice for English EHCPs, and against national guidance for Scottish Child's Plans and IEPs, shows the rule behind each flag and drafts a fix from the information in the file. The vendor says it reads and drafts while staff accept, edit or reject each change. Its page states £750 a year for a school's first 15 plans, and a free check of two or three fictional EHCPs. The listing declares UK hosting and GDPR compliance. Main limitation: it works only from the plans you upload, does not connect to school management systems, and the page says none of its listed backers has evaluated its findings.

    Special Education and Accessibility · Contact for pricing · 5.0/5 from 1 educator review · Declared: GDPR

  6. 6. Baobab

    Best for: UK schools that want one system for EHCPs, provision mapping and annual reviews

    A SEND delivery platform for UK schools covering living EHCPs, provision mapping, IEP creation, annual reviews, SEND finance tracking and statutory returns. The listing declares UK hosting and GDPR compliance and says the company collects pupil data, so ask for its data protection documents. Main limitation: the vendor page does not show pricing or a free trial, and it has no educator reviews on this site yet, so book a demo and ask for references from schools like yours.

    Special Education and Accessibility · Paid · Declared: GDPR

  7. 7. FrenalyticsEDU

    Best for: US special education teams tracking IEP goals and MTSS progress

    Collects data that lines up with each student's IEP goals and automates progress monitoring, with skills in maths, English language arts and life skills that can be individualised. The vendor names special education and ELL populations and inclusion, self-contained and ABA classrooms. It offers a free sign-up and a school and district route. The listing declares US hosting and FERPA and COPPA compliance. Main limitation: it does not declare GDPR compliance, so UK and EU schools should ask before using it, prices are not shown and there are no educator reviews on this site yet.

    Special Education and Accessibility · Contact for pricing · Declared: COPPA, FERPA

How do I choose an AI tool for special education?

Start with the job, not the brand. Access tools such as text-to-speech and adapted texts help a pupil today. Paperwork tools save staff time on plans and reviews. Progress tools turn evidence into reports. Few products do all three well.

  • Pupil-facing or staff-facing: pupil-facing tools need age checks and safeguarding review. Staff-facing drafting tools need a clear rule that a named professional approves the output.
  • Terminology and law: EHCPs and the SEND Code of Practice apply in England, Child's Plans in Scotland, and IEPs and IDEA in the US. Check a tool was built for your system.
  • Data protection: details of a child's needs can reveal health information, which UK data protection law treats as special category data. Check hosting, deletion rights and whether the company collects pupil data.
  • Cost after the free way in: free allowances differ, and several vendors here do not publish prices, so ask before you plan around a free tier.

Can AI write an IEP or EHCP?

AI can draft wording, but it should not write the plan. An EHCP in England is a legal document: the SEND Code of Practice sets out how needs, outcomes and provision must be specified, and only the local authority can issue or amend it. In the US, an IEP is developed by a team under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

A sensible use is to have the tool flag vague wording or draft options from information you already hold, then rewrite it yourself with the family and the professionals involved. Do not paste in more personal information than the task needs.

Is it safe to put pupil SEN information into an AI tool?

Treat it as sensitive by default. The Department for Education's guidance on generative AI recommends that personal data is not used in generative AI tools unless strictly necessary and protected. In practice, use pupil codes rather than names where a tool allows, read the vendor's privacy policy, and agree it with your data protection lead before any rollout.

The Index shows how many listed tools declare GDPR, FERPA and COPPA compliance, where they host data and how many have not said. A blank answer is a reason to ask the vendor, not to assume.

Want a how-to rather than a comparison?

Our companion blog covers how teachers and SENCOs use AI in practice, with worked examples. This page is the directory view: which tools exist, what they cost to try and what each one declares about privacy.

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Frequently asked questions about ai tools for special education

What are the best AI tools for special education?

It depends on the job. Read&Write suits literacy access, Diffit adapts texts to reading levels, Glint creates visual supports, MagicSchool can draft an IEP to edit, Sendix and Baobab support EHCP and SEND paperwork in the UK, and FrenalyticsEDU tracks IEP goals in the US. Try the free way in before buying.

Are there free AI tools for special education?

Some have a free way in, with limits. The Read&Write product page says K-12 teachers get free access. Diffit has a free Basic plan. MagicSchool and FrenalyticsEDU offer free sign-ups, and Glint offers a free start, though their pages do not set out what is included. Sendix offers a free check of two or three fictional EHCPs. Checked on vendor sites on 21 October 2026.

Can AI help students with dyslexia?

Yes, as a support rather than a fix. Tools such as Read&Write offer text-to-speech, speech-to-text and word prediction, and Diffit can produce texts at different reading levels. Check what is allowed in formal exams, because some features must be switched off and access arrangements applied for.

Can AI write an EHCP or IEP?

It can draft or flag wording, but it cannot replace the professionals and family who define a child's needs. In England only the local authority issues or amends an EHCP. Use AI output as a draft that a qualified person rewrites and approves.

Is it safe to use AI with pupils who have special educational needs?

Only after checking the vendor's privacy policy, hosting location and deletion rights, and agreeing it with your data protection lead. Details of a child's needs are sensitive. Companies declare their compliance on their listings, which is not a legal certification, so ask for data protection documents.

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