​So ChatGPT has impressed me again. I signed up for the sample usage at chatopenapi.com.  I used this feature before to generate IEP goal assessment sets. As I'm Continuing my investigation of the ways that this resource can assist special educators and freeing up their sacred time I decided to try a couple more prompts.
 

​The first prompt I decided to try was in the generation of repeated reading stories. I have used this strategy in the past as a research-based intervention to improve oral reading fluency link here. As students worked on mastering sight words I would generate short stories with their name and interest along with the commonly misread words they would have as we were working on their site word lists. I would use the steps of repeated reading as a strategy with the small stories and saw wonderful progress with students as the stories were tailored just for them.  In a self contained special education classroom operating with stations I would recommend making this intervention a standing practice. In a typical classroom I would suggest using older-peer reading buddies.  
 
I wondered if ChatGPT could help with this process. I was very impressed with my first return result.  
 
My Specific prompt was; create a repeated reading fluency practice story with a character named Sam that likes trains at a 1st grade readability utilizing the sight words; even, then, they, that, there.  
 
Although the story is longer than I would typically use for first grade I imagine that if I ask for a specific number of word passage ChatGPT would oblige.  The following is what I received based on my prompt:
 
Title: Sam and the Train Ride
Sam loved trains. Every day, he would even ask his mom if they could go on a train ride. Finally, one day, his mom said yes. Sam was so excited!
They went to the train station and got on the train. Sam looked out the window and saw all the buildings passing by. Then, he saw a big field with cows in it. Sam thought they looked funny.
There was a conductor on the train. He told Sam and his mom that they were going to a town that had a big train museum. Sam was so happy. He couldn't wait to see all the trains.
When they got there, Sam saw so many trains. There were big ones, small ones, and even a train that looked like a dragon. Sam and his mom walked around the museum and looked at all the trains.
Then, they sawThey got on the train, and it started moving. Sam held on tight and looked out the window. They went through a tunnel, and it was dark. Sam was a little scared, but then they came out the other side and there was sunlight again.
The train ride was over too quickly. Sam and his mom got off the train and went back to the museum. They looked at all the trains again and then it was time to go home.
Sam was sad to leave the museum, but he knew that there would be more train rides in his future. As they walked away, Sam looked back at the museum and said, "There were so many trains there. I can't believe they had a train that looked like a dragon!"
And that was Sam's train adventure.

 a train that they could ride. Sam was so excited.
I have found incorporating names and interests in student’s stories maintained interest and engagement in the intervention.  When students have a strong interest in a topic they may already be familiar some of the words that may seem challenging so the more difficult train specific vocabulary doesn’t bother me.  It was a perfect individualized story that sprinkled in the specific words ‘Sam’ needed practice with.

I then decided to use check GPT for another common use in the special education realm. Which is writing social stories. In my experience they are very effective for students on the spectrum in managing small behaviors that need direct instruction link to meta analysis on the use of social stories for students on the spectrum
). The result of this check pleased me as well. It had all the components of a good social story that I had learned about during my teaching career and I was impressed by its ability to generate it so quickly (less than 2 minutes).
 
The following was my prompt:  create a social story to help an autistic student named sue keep her shoes on when on the bus.
 
The following is the response. Although this too is a little longer than I would typically write it is possible that I could request for the story to be at a certain readability or to a certain word length:
 
Title: Keeping My Shoes On
Hi, my name is Sue, and sometimes I take my shoes off when I ride the bus to school. I know this is not a good thing to do because it can be dangerous, and it also bothers the other students on the bus. I want to learn how to keep my shoes on.

 
is not a good When I get on the bus, I need to remember to keep my shoes on my feet. I can try to tie them extra tight, so they don't feel like they are slipping off. I can also wear socks that fit snugly on my feet, so my shoes don't slide around.
If I feel like taking my shoes off, I can remember that it's not safe, and it makes the other students uncomfortable. I can distract myself by looking out the window or listening to music. I can also bring a fidget toy or a stress ball to keep my hands busy.
I know that the bus driver and my teachers want me to be safe on the bus. Taking my shoes off is not safe, and it's also not polite to the other students. I want to be a good friend and a responsible student.
thing to dWhen I get to school, I can take my shoes off if I want to, but only in a safe and appropriate place like the classroom or the playground. I can also ask for help if I need it.
I am a smart and capable student, and I know that I can keep my shoes on during the bus ride. With practice and patience, I can learn how to be safe and comfortable on the bus.
Remembering to keep my shoes on is an important skill, and I am going to work hard to get better at it.

 
In future prompting I might be a little more specific and add details about ‘Sue’ such as the function of her shoe throwing behavior.  I want to note that it provided all of the suggestions that you might hear in a special education team meeting.  I imagine there may be some edits you might want to make but it is a wonderful support tool for new teachers or teams.
 
I just wanted to share these two examples of how I found the emerging AI market can assist in reducing the cognitive load for teachers so that focus can be on formative assessments, individualizing instruction and managing all the tasks special educators are responsible for.  As with any new technologies there are pros and cons with it and this duo of examples is a pro for AI.  You could try it out here https://chat.openai.com/ .  

​During my work as a special educator, I've come to work with students with various degrees of ability and fine motor control.  More recently, I've spent several years teaching students on the autism spectrum and students with intellectual difficulties.   During one of my first years with this population I was appalled when it was suggested to me that I not worry about developing a Couple students’ fine motor skills as they would never achieve gains.  Both in my professional and personal life I find the word ‘never’ ridiculous.  I felt that putting a ceiling on their growth would automatically hold them back so I worked to make gains despite the recommendation to call it a day on developing student skills.   To improve student’s fine motor skills I embedded supporting activities throughout their day. 
 
One such activity I embedded in my specialized academic classroom routine. In this specific classroom students went to rotations that had specific skill objectives for each rotation. Once a month I ensured that one of these rotations included guided drawing. The specific activity I handed over to a paraprofessional this year who was very skilled at building relationships. She had a special knack for making connections and was able to coax students into working on non-preferred tasks. Side note, always remember to appreciate your great paraprofessionals, not all of them come with this soft skill that is so necessary in a self-contained classroom or when working with neurodiverse students in different settings.  The paraprofessional would model each part of the picture and encourage students to mirror on their paper.  The instructions were given one step at a time rather than showing a completed picture and then asking a student to copy the whole thing which could be defeating for some students.  See the pictures of March and April drawings for the most recent comparison of progress.

​The guided drawing activity was multi-objective.  In addition to being given an opportunity for fine motor practice it was also a time to demonstrate following positional directions using words like bottom, top, left right and next to.  Direct instruction in color matching could be a sub objective for some students.   Having multiple objectives or at least being able to take advantage of each instructional moment is key to making the most progress with all students but especially for neurodiverse students as sometimes it may take quite a bit of time to develop rapport or there may be multiple barriers such as communication and dysregulation.
 
I also utilized a once-a-month whole group guided painting activity as well.  For this activity a painting was photographed after each thing was added like the grass, the colors of the rainbow one at a time or clouds etc.   Each month the picture was themed for accompanying holiday events or seasonal weather.  The photos were added to a PowerPoint with simple text directions to support reading at their level.  The students worked on one slide at a time with the emphasis on mirroring what they saw.  For those who needed extra support a light pencil line could guide their path as an accommodation.  Students typically had a high rate of focus on this task as all but one enjoyed painting.  Students were always thrilled to see their new artworks on display in the hallway.  I had several comments as well from staff that they were amazed that the students had turned out such nice pictures.
 
To sum it up, guided drawing and painting can help support improved fine motor control which is a prerequisite for many other tasks they will encounter.  I encourage you to try it and let me know what you think from your experiences.  Here is a link to an article on additional ways to support fine motor skill.  And lastly, never say never about what a student can eventually be capable of, instead help them find the rung of the ladder closest to them and help them rise up.