Reading Fluency and Inclusion of Neurodivergent Students Drive the Use of AI in Public Education

FTD Educação introduces a free solution that adapts lessons for students with autism and ADHD, as well as a tool powered by Google Cloud technology to assess reading skills among students in the early grades  

 
FTD Educação, one of the leading companies in Brazil’s education sector, is participating in Bett Brasil 2026, the largest event for innovation and technology in education in Latin America, which will take place May 5–8 at Expo Center Norte in São Paulo. This year, the company is presenting solutions tailored to public education, focusing on two of the sector’s main current challenges: the inclusion of neurodivergent students in the classroom and the development of reading fluency in the early grades. 
 
The main new feature for the 31st edition of the event is the advancement in the use of artificial intelligence to support teachers in adapting content and lesson plans, especially for students with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and intellectual disabilities. The goal is to expand the capacity of public school systems to offer more personalized instruction that meets specific educational needs without increasing the workload on teachers. 

The"FTD com Você" platform, a free AI-based tool, offers features for creating activities, lesson plans, and teaching materials, as well as an inclusion agent capable of adapting content for neurodivergent students. 

With more than 26,000 registered teachers, 42,000 logins, and an engagement rate exceeding 60%, the platform aims to reduce teachers’ workload and provide practical support for creating more inclusive and personalized lessons—one of the biggest challenges in the day-to-day operations of public school classrooms across the country.  

A survey conducted by Gallup in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation indicates that teachers who use AI tools at least once a week save, on average, 5.9 hours of work per week. Over the course of a school year, this time is equivalent to approximately six full weeks of work that can be redirected toward more effective instructional planning, individualized student support, and professional development. 

Data show that Brazil has 14.4 million people with disabilities and 2.4 million with autism. Among people with disabilities aged 25 or older, 63.1% did not complete elementary school, nearly double the rate observed among people without disabilities (32.3%). The data are from the “2022 Demographic Census—People with Disabilities and People Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Preliminary Results from the Sample,” released in 2025 by the IBGE. 

Furthermore, only 25.2% of people with disabilities completed compulsory basic education. Among people without disabilities, that proportion was 53.4%. “The inclusion of students with different profiles is no longer a secondary issue but has become one of the main challenges facing public education. Teachers must simultaneously ensure the class’s progress and address specific needs, which requires tools that support the adaptation of instruction in a practical and accessible way,” explains Cintia Lapa, Director of Content and Educational Performance at FTD Educação.

Reading fluency and learning monitoring 

Data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS 2021) show that 38% of 4th-grade students in Brazil have not mastered basic reading skills, a rate higher than that observed in countries such as Ireland (2%), England (3%), and Spain (5%). This situation underscores the challenges associated with establishing literacy skills in the early years of basic education.  

With the goal of reducing this learning gap and addressing inequalities, FTD Educação is also presenting the Flui solution at Bett Brasil 2026, which is designed to assess and develop reading fluency in early-grade students and uses Google Cloud AIRA (Artificial Intelligence Reading Assessor) technology to provide a simple, automated, and scalable assessment. Focused on the continuous monitoring of learning and the generation of data to support pedagogical decisions, this intelligent assessment allows educators to track students’ reading levels and guide pedagogical interventions in a structured manner.  

The system automatically classifies students into eight levels of reading fluency and provides detailed reports, including metrics by class, school, and school district, as well as practical guides for remedial learning. Based on this information, teachers select the best strategies for each student. The tool is currently in use in 75 municipalities, involving 700 public schools and more than 9,000 registered students.  

“Teachers deal with learning gaps and heterogeneous classes while seeking strategies to personalize instruction and promote consistent progress. In this way, the use of data becomes an essential ally for teachers, guiding strategies and accelerating learning,” explains Cintia Lapa of FTD Educação.  
 
Another development is the progress made in using an AI-powered tool for grading handwritten essays in municipal school systems. Offered through the edtech company Pontue, a teaching and learning platform focused on essay instruction and grading, the tool has already reached 157 municipalities in 15 states (AL, BA, CE, GO, MA, MG, MS, MT, PR, RJ, RO, RS, SC, SP, and TO) and has graded more than 53,000 handwritten essays with AI support in over 400 schools. The technology is also available in the private school system served by FTD. “In addition to supporting student development, the tool allows educators to devote more time to pedagogical strategies and the development of each student, while also strengthening public school systems in their challenge to improve their educational indicators,” notes Fabricio Vieira de Moraes, Deputy Director of Education at FTD Educação.  
 
Market Share and Results  

At Bett Brasil 2026, FTD Educação is presenting a strategic direction focused on expanding and strengthening its business, with an emphasis on expanding its presence in public education and consolidating solutions for private education, with a focus on innovation, personalization, and close collaboration with schools and school districts.  

Currently, the company reaches more than 11 million students in public and private schools throughout Brazil, with a presence in approximately 7,000 private schools and tens of thousands of public institutions, reaching 50,000 teachers.  

In private education, the company is advancing bilingual solutions in English, such as Standfor Evolution and Start, which are already in use at more than 900 partner schools and have seen 50% growth over the past year. In the National Book and Educational Materials Program (PNLD), FTD Educação reinforces its relevance by achieving a 25.6% market share in the program’s most recent cycles, covering everything from early childhood education through high school and youth and adult education. In total, more than 76 million copies were distributed to public school students, highlighting the company’s widespread reach and significance in the Brazilian education market. 

In addition to its educational impact, FTD Educação’s operations also generate value for the national supply chain, with R$ 1.5 billion in net operating revenue in 2025. On the environmental front, significant progress has been made in establishing more sustainable management practices. The company’s Printing Park, one of the largest and most modern in Latin America, has earned ISO 14001 and Zero Waste certifications, diverting 99.9% of waste from landfills and incineration. The initiative also includes the composting of more than 3 metric tons of organic waste per year, which is used in community gardens and educational programs. 

Three booths at Bett Brasil 2026 

At Bett Brasil 2026, FTD Educação is expanding its presence at the event with three booths, each offering an immersive experience inspired by the metaphor of a learning journey. Under the umbrella concept “FTD Education Station,” there will be three booths organized as a learning journey: Origin Station (aimed at the institutional and private sectors); Impact Station (focused on public education); and Future Station (for StandFor Evolution). Throughout the journey, visitors will participate in interactive activities and have access to a special program of lectures and meetings with experts during the four days of the event.  
 
Highlights include writer Ana Maria Machado, winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award—considered the Nobel Prize of children’s and young adult literature—who will participate in a discussion on career and literature, moderated by Isabel Lopes Coelho, publisher at FTD, on May 5 at 2:00 p.m.; and psychotherapist Leo Fraiman, creator of the OPEE methodology, who will give a lecture titled “Far Beyond Social-Emotional Skills: The Life Project as a Factor Promoting Mental Health and Happiness,” on May 5, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., at the Estação Origem booth (L40).  
 
Meanwhile, education specialist Débora Garofalo, named the world’s most influential teacher by the Teacher Prize; and teacher Luciene Moreira da Silva, winner of the FTD Educação Educator Award in the Public Sector Outstanding Achievement category, will present on May 6, from 10:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., with the lecture “Inspiring Projects,” at the Estação Impacto booth (D 90). Allan Dias Castro, a bestselling author with a large online following and recognized for works such as “Voz ao Verbo” and “O Colecionador de Saudades,” will give the talk “Teachers Are Eternal” on May 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., at the Estação Origem booth (L40). 
 

About FTD Educação       

For over 120 years, FTD Educação’s mission has been to transform the future through education, thinking beyond the ordinary and inspiring discovery, choice, freedom, and citizenship. Recognized as an innovative, collaborative, flexible, and people-oriented company, it is guided by the slogan “We connect stories. We build futures.” Its integrated approach serves schools, students, teachers, and society, and includes: educational and literary materials; educational solutions (including support for schools, educational consulting, and teacher training, among others); new technologies (tools that expand teaching possibilities both inside and outside the classroom); and projects and services that involve families in the pursuit of a well-rounded education.        

Public Relations Office – FTD Educação: Kate Mores - kate.moraes@ftd.com.br - Tel.: (41) 99203-0323