This study explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to autistic children (ages 5-10) in Saudi Arabian specialised education settings, drawing on perspectives from five ESL teachers and eight parents. Findings reveal that while both teachers and parents recognise AI's potential for personalised learning through tools like ChatGPT for conversational practice and for adaptive vocabulary, significant challenges exist in implementation. Teachers emphasise the need for specialised training to effectively customise AI tools and highlight limitations in addressing social-pragmatic skills, while parents express concerns about sensory overload and the lack of Arabic-language AI resources. Effective strategies combine AI with multisensory approaches and structured routines, though success depends on human oversight, culturally adapted designs, and strong parent-teacher collaboration. The study underscores the necessity for further development of neurodiversity-affirming AI tools, professional training programmes, and policy support to bridge current gaps in ESL instruction for autistic learners.
Amr M. Mohamed (Mon,) studied this question.