Abstract

Background: The growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education and various areas of life, such as healthcare, decision-making, and improving the quality of services, necessitates investigating its efficacy in addressing children's behavioral problems, especially for children with disabilities, aiming to meet the cognitive gap among educators. Objective: To assess educators' understanding of AI applications and their perspectives on the potential utilization of these applications to enhance children's behavioral problems. Methods: In a descriptive-analytical approach, utilizing an electronic questionnaire distributed to 102 Saudi educators from kindergarten, primary, and special education schools or centers in the Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia, were recruited. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and standard deviations, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Results: Knowledge of AI applications ranged from moderate to low. Modeling and reinforcement have higher acceptance for AI-based behavioral strategies. Lack of professional training and worries over the fading of the human role in the educational process. Statistically significant positive correlations between variables. Conclusions and Recommendations: The study confirms AI's potential in individualizing instructions and simplifying assessment. It advises intensive professional development programs for teachers to improve the integration of smart technologies into behavioral intervention plans.