AI Save Time and Reduce Workload in Writing IEPs

When discussing individualized education programs, or IEPs, with educators for students with special needs, the common sentiment often revolves around the critical nature of these legal documents in providing student support, despite the significant time investment required to compose them.

From our perspective, an IEP extends beyond a mere obligation for students qualifying for special education. Instead, it serves as a joint endeavor between educators and families, offering a valuable snapshot of a student’s strengths, challenges, aspirations, and the vital support services necessary for their academic progress.

The IEP creation procedure typically entails numerous meetings and can span multiple weeks due to the document’s unique nature, ensuring that no two IEPs are identical. Having worked closely with teachers on IEPs for years, we recently received assistance from artificial intelligence, an unexpected but beneficial resource.

While artificial intelligence raises valid concerns related to the future of teaching, student privacy, and potential biases, it also carries the promise of enhancing educators’ efficiency by simplifying tasks and enhancing student support mechanisms. Effective utilization of AI can streamline the IEP-writing process, making it more user-friendly and less time-intensive for educators.

Having authored IEPs without AI in the past, we understand the potential overwhelm associated with the process. Gathering essential data and understanding a student’s needs often transitions into the demanding task of transforming that knowledge into a well-structured, organized document, involving hours of dedicated writing by the educational team comprising both general and special education teachers, administrators, and families.

In addition to addressing the technical aspects of an IEP, educators must organize vast amounts of information, ensure grammatical accuracy and coherence, and maintain a consistent flow, diverting attention from the primary goal of designing a comprehensive support framework for the student. This is where we’ve discovered the significant assistance AI can provide.