Blog

As caseloads grow well beyond recommended ratios, K-12 clinical educators can feel overwhelmed by administrative duties. And the traditional reprieves, like hiring more instructors or reducing responsibilities outside core focus areas, aren’t forthcoming. 

The result: clinical educators’ burnout worsens, and schools can’t adequately serve each student who needs support.

“Technology” is often put forward as a solution to these competing needs. Yet often the very tools that promise to save clinical educators time end up creating more work: new processes to master, time lost to task switching between apps, and challenges collaborating across disconnected systems. 

However, the arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) embedded in the platforms and systems K-12 educators already use offers an opportunity to reimagine how technology can help clinicians, specifically by reclaiming time from routine tasks.

Six in 10 classroom educators reported using AI-driven tools in 2025, according to Education Week data. That’s double the share who said so in 2023. Specialists are using the technology, too. For example, nearly 7 in 10 school psychologists in a recent study reported using AI in the prior 6 months, most often for tasks such as data analysis, reporting, and communication. Other specialists, such as speech-language pathologists, are also optimistic that AI can improve assessment and diagnosis. 

“There’s a new opportunity for clinical educators, in particular, to explore embedded AI at the assessment level — specifically, how it can help turn results into action through better analysis, reporting, and recommendation generation,” said Richard Johnson, Lead, Product Management - Q Platforms at Pearson Clinical Assessment.

In this article, we explore how integrating contextual, workflow-native AI to understand, communicate, and act on assessment results can ease clinical educators’ administrative burden and free them up to ensure students get the diagnoses and supports they need. 

Key takeaways for school practitioners:

• ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood.¹  
• Since 2000, the percentage of American students diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has jumped from 6.9% to 11.4% — a 65% increase.^2,3  
• ADHD manifests itself in three key ways, including inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. 
• Students with ADHD can also bring numerous strengths, including creative and innovative thinking, as well as high energy and enthusiasm. 
• Effective school-based supports for students with ADHD typically fall into three main categories: behavioral classroom management, organizational skills training, and environmental and instructional supports. 

Key takeaways for school practitioners 

• 1 in 31 U.S. students has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), nearly quadrupling since 2000.¹
• ASD is the fastest-growing disability category under IDEA, accounting for 40% of the total increase in students with disabilities in 2024.²
• No two students with ASD present the same way, which is why understanding the spectrum is essential for every educator and practitioner. 
• Simple, low-cost classroom modifications can make a significant difference for students with ASD, while benefiting all learners. 
• Students with ASD often bring remarkable strengths, including strong memory, intense focus and creative thinking. 

Picture a student who aces class discussions but rarely turns in homework on time, or one who understands the material but freezes or acts out when the routine changes. Instead of jumping to conclusions about a student’s ability or motivation level, it’s good to take a step back to see what might be happening behind the scenes, such as an underdevelopment of executive function skills. Executive function skills are the brain’s self-management tools — like planning, organization, time management, and self-control — that help students stay on task and reach goals. When a student needs to deliver academically, executive functions get them started, keep them on track, and help them cross the finish line. By contrast, when students struggle with executive functions, the impact on academics and overall school success can be widespread.

Educators sometimes feel like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, encountering a trio of formidable challenges along the Yellow Brick Road: reading difficulties (dyslexia), writing difficulties (dysgraphia), and math difficulties (dyscalculia). These three learning disabilities are distinct in their core features – dyslexia affects reading and spelling, dysgraphia impacts writing (especially handwriting and spelling), and dyscalculia involves persistent trouble with number sense and math – yet they often travel together in the same student. In other words, it’s not unusual for a child to experience a mix of reading, writing, and math needs all at once.