Before You Click Generate: What Every Special Education Professional Needs to Know About AI Ethics

Presenter(s)

Event Details

Topic:

leadership, policy & implementation

Format:

lecture

Subject Level:

beginner

Age Span:

preschool
kindergarten - grade 6
grades 7-12

Target Audience:

AT specialist
autism specialist
consultant
deaf / hard of hearing
educator
healthcare administration
K-12 administration
occupational therapist
physical therapist
special educator
speech language pathologist
teacher of the visually impaired
university professor / personnel
vision impairment specialist

Professional Development Credits

IACET CEUs:

0.01

ACVREP CEs:

1

Presentation Length: 1 hour

Location:

Plaza 5

Description:

This session will address the ethical dimensions of AI use in special education, focusing on three core risks: data privacy, algorithmic bias, and erosion of student agency. Participants will examine real-world case studies involving AI-generated IEP documentation, predictive behavioral tools, and student-facing AI writing assistants, discussing implications under IDEA, FERPA, and ADA. A five-question ethics framework will be introduced that practitioners can apply independently to evaluate any AI tool before adoption. Participants will practice applying the framework, discuss safe data handling protocols for AI use, and develop action steps for their own school or district contexts. This session is appropriate for all experience levels and will be particularly valuable to AT specialists, Special Education department leads, and administrators.

Learning Outcomes:

As a result of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Participants will be able to identify at least three specific data privacy risks associated with using commercial AI tools with student IEP data, and name at least two strategies for safer AI use that protect student rights under FERPA.

• Participants will be able to apply a five-question ethical decision-making framework to evaluate any AI tool for use in a special education setting, including screening for algorithmic bias and assessing the impact on student agency.

• Participants will be able to articulate at least two concrete action steps for bringing AI ethics considerations into their school or district's existing technology review or AT evaluation process.

Disclosures:

Tiffanie is employed by Central Rivers Area Education Agency and is the owner of InnovED Consulting LLC. Tiffanie resides on the Cites board.