Recently, I was mesmerized by a father’s powerful story about his son with learning disabilities — but what made this one different for me is that it happened beyond the K-12 classroom walls. 

I have had many conversations with our TQS parents who are pondering the path their children will tread as they edge toward adulthood. The good news is that TQS is not the end of the road! If you’re beginning to chart these unexplored waters, you’re probably asking this common question: “What’s next?”

If there’s one thing we know at The Quaker School at Horsham, it’s that every child is different – which is why milestone decisions need to be made individually, based on each child’s special gifts, strengths and weaknesses, and unique personality. 

Giving your child a smartphone is no exception. This is a significant decision for any child, but it should be especially weighed for a child with complex challenges.

While the internet offers numerous benefits, it also harbors a plethora of age-inappropriate content, all just a click away. 

A January 2023 study by Common Sense Media shed light on a disquieting statistic: a significant majority of teens aged 13–17 reported accessing online pornography. Even more concerning, a startling 15% of these children had their first exposure to explicit content at the age of 10 or younger.

So what is a parent to do when it comes to digital safety for children with complex challenges?

From intricate functionalities to unknown risks to potential impact, new technology can be quite intimidating. Yet when emerging technology is used to help people with disabilities be more independent and connected, it can be incredibly life-changing.

Apple is one company with a long-standing commitment to making products for everyone, and it’s intriguing to watch the company develop innovative solutions aimed at empowering all individuals to use its products with greater ease and independence.

As both the head of a school and the parent of a child with complex challenges, I understand the concerns and struggles that students with learning differences (and their families!) face on a daily basis, both in and outside of the classroom. 

That’s why I am so enthralled by the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an assistive technology – one that may soon transform the educational experiences of our children.

Let me tell you a secret: I didn’t write this blog post. I simply entered the keywords into Rytr, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing assistant, and it did the rest.

The result is a high-quality blog post that had all the features of a professionally written piece – without any of the manual effort. It is imperfect yet still pretty darn good considering a computer wrote it.

Can you imagine what this means for students whose disabilities impair their ability to communicate using writing?