SEND Session: Use of AI and Apps to Promote Independence

AI Boosting SEND Autonomy

The UK's special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is under immense pressure. In the 2024/25 academic year, more than 1.7 million pupils required support, with EHC plans—formal assessments outlining needs—jumping to 482,640, a 104% increase over prior years. This surge strains local authorities and schools, pushing the system toward financial unsustainability. Amid this, AI and apps are gaining traction as tools to promote independence, particularly in post-16 education where learners transition to adulthood.

Recent developments fuel this relevance. The government's AI Opportunities Action Plan, updated in January 2026, emphasizes embedding AI in public services, including education. Trials of AI tutoring tools, launched in 2025, target narrowing the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils, potentially aiding up to 450,000 children on free school meals. In November 2025, research backed by UK Research and Innovation began exploring data-driven tools for earlier SEND identification, aiming for school rollouts by 2028. These moves reflect a broader push, with £22.5 billion allocated annually by 2028/29 for science and technology, including AI.

Impacts ripple across stakeholders. For SEND students, apps like adaptive learning platforms and speech-to-text tools enhance daily independence, such as travel aids developed in Surrey. Teachers benefit from reduced administrative burdens—AI automates IEP drafting and lesson adaptations—easing workloads in a sector plagued by retention issues. Families gain from quicker interventions, but challenges persist: limited access to specialists like educational psychologists often ties support to EHC plans, exacerbating delays.

Stakes are concrete. Without action, the SEND crisis could cost billions more; already, financial constraints force schools to seek EHC plans for basic advice, straining resources. Deadlines loom, like the EU AI Act's influence on UK practices from August 2025, mandating safeguards for high-risk systems. Inaction risks poorer life outcomes for SEND individuals—lower employment rates, increased isolation—while costs mount: NHS therapies are often restricted to EHC holders, leaving others underserved.

Less obvious tensions emerge. The UK's policy pivot from AI safety to growth, evident in delayed legislation and sandboxes for real-world testing, prioritizes innovation over caution. This could foster over-reliance on AI, diminishing students' critical thinking. Biases in AI training data may disadvantage marginalized groups, and digital exclusion hits hardest those with disabilities or low skills. Trade-offs include privacy risks from data-heavy tools versus benefits of personalized support, with unions calling for worker input to steer AI toward high-skill jobs rather than automation.