The Use of AI-Enhanced Tools in Teaching English to Learners with Learning Disabilities and Aphasias: A Critical Review

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into language education has opened new horizons for English as second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) learners especially the ones grappling with neurological and developmental learning disorders. This critical review explores the current body of evidence on the use of AI-augmented tools in teaching English to learners with dyslexia, dysgraphia, attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) together with students suffering from certain aphasias. Drawing on ۲۰۲۴-۲۰۲۶ studies, the review appraises the pedagogical efficacy of recent AI-driven interventions on the students' learning outcomes. Findings indicate that AI-powered tools such as large language models (LLMs), generative AI platforms, and intelligent tutoring systems demonstrate promising avenues across a number of domains including diagnostic support, vocabulary and functional language development, and speech-language rehabilitation. Nonetheless, the findings point to certain critical gaps such as the scarcity of studies focusing on aphasic learners, the small and often uniform samples, paucity of investigation enriched with longitudinal follow-ups, and inadequacies of ethical considerations around algorithmic bias and data privacy. The review avows the case for interdisciplinary collaboration among AI specialists, applied linguists, special educators, and speech-language pathologists, and calls for the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) frameworks to steer the ethical and effective integration of AI in more inclusive ESL/EFL settings.

کلیدواژه ها:

Artificial intelligence (AI) ، AI-enhanced tools ، Learning disabilities ، Aphasias ، Critical review