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AI exposure Education and library

Will AI replace special education teachers?

Special Education Teachers, Preschool. US occupation 25-2051.

0.6%

of the time special education teachers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of special education teachers' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 343 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 54% of them.Further along than 54% of them.

Average US job 7.7%

Around the middle of the pack.Keeping pace with the average job.

What AI already does for special education teachersWhat special education teachers no longer do alone

O*NET lists 35 tasks for special education teachers. AI use at work shows up in 4 of them. Each score runs from 0.5, where every observed use helps a person with the task, to 1, where every use does the task outright.

  1. Organize and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their perceptual skills.Core task mostly automated 1.00
  2. Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.Core task mostly automated 0.94
  3. Present information in audio-visual or interactive formats, using computers, television, audio-visual aids, or other equipment, materials, or technologies.Core task mostly automated 0.94
  4. Prepare objectives, outlines, or other materials for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements.Core task mostly automated 0.88

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

31 of the 35 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Administer tests to help determine children's developmental levels, needs, or potential.Core task
  • Arrange indoor or outdoor space to facilitate creative play, motor-skill activities, or safety.Core task
  • Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, or teacher training workshops to maintain or improve professional competence.Core task
  • Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, or changing their diapers.Core task
  • Collaborate with other teachers or administrators to develop, evaluate, or revise preschool programs.Core task
  • Communicate nonverbally with children to provide them with comfort, encouragement, or positive reinforcement.Core task
Show the other 25
  • Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual education plans (IEPs).Core task
  • Confer with parents, guardians, teachers, counselors, or administrators to resolve students' behavioral or academic problems.Core task
  • Control the inventory or distribution of classroom equipment, materials, or supplies.Core task
  • Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.Core task
  • Develop individual educational plans (IEPs) designed to promote students' educational, physical, or social development.Core task
  • Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities.Core task
  • Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.Core task
  • Encourage students to explore learning opportunities or persevere with challenging tasks to prepare them for later grades.Core task
  • Establish and communicate clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects to students, parents, or guardians.Core task
  • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.Core task
  • Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment or materials to prevent injuries and damage.Core task
  • Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, or administrative regulations.Core task
  • Meet with parents or guardians to discuss their children's progress, advise them on using community resources, or teach skills for dealing with students' impairments.Core task
  • Monitor teachers or teacher assistants to ensure adherence to special education program requirements.Core task
  • Organize and supervise games or other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, or social development.Core task
  • Plan and supervise experiential learning activities, such as class projects, field trips, or demonstrations.Core task
  • Prepare assignments for teacher assistants or volunteers.Core task
  • Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.Core task
  • Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.Core task
  • Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.Core task
  • Read books to entire classes or to small groups.Core task
  • Serve meals or snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines.Core task
  • Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, or social skills, to preschool students with special needs.Core task
  • Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.Core task
  • Teach students personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, or self-advocacy.Core task

How that compares

Among the 57 education and library occupations, special education teachers rank 39. The group averages 12.9%, and its most exposed job is Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary at 43.1%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Just above in the ranking

  1. 340Occupational Therapists 0.8%
  2. 342Child, Family, and School Social Workers 0.7%
  3. 343Agricultural Technicians 0.6%

Just below

  1. 345Surveyors 0.2%
  2. 346Acupuncturists 0.0%
  3. 346Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders 0.0%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.