AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 25-9043.00

Will AI replace Teaching Assistants, Special Education?

Teaching Assistants, Special Education: AI can already handle 3 of 30 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 30 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Teaching Assistants, Special Education, from most to least exposed. 3 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Organize and label materials and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their eye levels and perceptual skills. 90 Estimated Efficient 3.1
Observe students' performance, and record relevant data to assess progress. 65 Estimated Standard 4.0
Prepare lesson outlines and plans in assigned subject areas and submit outlines to teachers for review. 65 Estimated Efficient 3.4
Carry out therapeutic regimens, such as behavior modification and personal development programs, under the supervision of special education instructors, psychologists, or speech-language pathologists. 50 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.0
Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts. 50 Estimated Standard 3.9
Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.6
Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement. 35 Estimated Efficient 4.5
Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers. 35 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud. 35 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students. 35 Estimated Standard 3.7
Participate in teacher-parent conferences regarding students' progress or problems. 35 Estimated Standard 3.4
Requisition and stock teaching materials and supplies. 35 Estimated Standard 2.9
Laminate teaching materials to increase their durability under repeated use. 35 Estimated Efficient 2.8
Provide assistance to students with special needs. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.5
Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.4
Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Enforce administration policies and rules governing students. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Grade homework and tests, and compute and record results, using answer sheets or electronic marking devices. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, or food preparation. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Assist in bus loading and unloading. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.7
Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Clean classrooms. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.3
Assist librarians in school libraries. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.1
Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.0
Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required. 30 Estimated Standard 2.9
Take class attendance and maintain attendance records. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Maintain computers in classrooms and laboratories, and assist students with hardware and software use. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.5

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 30 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 30 of 30. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A standard-tier model or lower covers 93% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) publishes no national employment or wage figure for this O*NET occupation.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Teaching Assistants, Special Education and AI

Will AI replace Teaching Assistants, Special Education?

AI already handles 3 of the 30 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 37 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.

What is the AI exposure of Teaching Assistants, Special Education?

37 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 30 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 30 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Teaching Assistants, Special Education tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Organize and label materials and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their eye levels and perceptual skills; Observe students' performance, and record relevant data to assess progress; Prepare lesson outlines and plans in assigned subject areas and submit outlines to teachers for review. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A standard-tier model or lower covers 93% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Teaching Assistants, Special Education. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/teaching-assistants-special-education

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