Cognitive scientist Antoinette Banks‘ personal mission to create solutions began at home, fueled by her daughter. Born in 2006, Banks’ daughter was diagnosed at age five with a neurodevelopmental disorder that was later identified as autism.
Despite being told by doctors that there was a “0% probability of adult autonomy,” she refused to accept this grim prognosis. Instead, Banks committed herself to developing a tech-based solution for her daughter, one focused on potential rather than restrictions.
Banks told AfroTech, “I actually talked to a special education attorney, and he said at the time, ‘Black families don’t care enough about things like being autistic, so you might want to put her in a facility to give her the best shot.’”
She also previously told Forbes, “Honestly, I would not be anything without first having my own daughter, who has autism and ADHD that started me on this path and this journey to become a cognitive scientist and now an edtech owner. It’s a privilege to talk to families because I understand what it’s like to try to advocate for your kid’s needs in the realm of special education through the IEP process.”
Banks decided to take evening classes at a nearby community college to better understand the workings of the brain.
While studying cognitive science at UC Davis, Banks began focusing on creating a family-centered solution for Individual Education Programs (IEPs). The U.S. Department of Education defines IEPs as collaborative, individualized documents—created by teachers, parents, administrators, service personnel, and sometimes students—that establish learning goals and plans for students with disabilities.
Banks developed a collaborative, pattern-recognizing database to improve communication among IEP team members and pinpoint behavioral and academic trends.
Starting with feedback from a 20-family prototype, she expanded her research to 200 interviews and analyzed over 400 Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), mostly belonging to Black and brown families. By comparing these findings with data from the Department of Education, Banks successfully identified effective patterns, especially those relevant to families of color.
“Those are the main families who are not getting access to college or gainful employment or even more therapeutic care,” Banks noted.
Expert IEP, which she launched in 2021, is an AI-powered application built on this foundation. As Banks explained, the app optimizes Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), enabling families to intentionally plan a brighter future for their child. This technology also facilitates effective collaboration between families and schools before official meetings.
Banks’ project, Expert IEP, has successfully secured $1.7 million in funding, with most of the capital being non-dilutive. The funding came from various sources, including Camelback Ventures, NewSchools Venture Fund, and The Yass Prize, as well as winnings from pitch competitions. Notably, Banks won competitions at UC Davis, the Carlsen Center for Innovation, and Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition Prize.
A new study by Banks, soon to be published in the American Educational Research Association Journal, highlights serious flaws with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
The study showed that most IEPs (77%) are too complex for families to easily understand. Banks also noticed a difference in how the language is used: IEPs for Black students often use stricter words, while those for white students use more language focused on collaboration.
Paid advocates for a child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) lead to better outcomes than highly involved parents. Banks noted that paid advocates significantly improve an IEP’s quality, stating that for families who can afford one, “their IEP is written in a very different way, and the parental concerns are embedded in every goal and have a higher impact and higher outcome.”
This specialized service, however, is costly, typically ranging from $750 to $14,000 annually.
Expert IEP provides accessible IEP support, starting with a free primary diagnosis upon IEP upload. Subscribed families can use one-time or monthly tiers to upload multiple IEPs while benefiting from behavioral tracking and monitoring. This will enable them to track what happens at home and send reports to school for comparison of student needs. Banks stated that the platform’s recommendations are designed to help families envision new possibilities for students with disabilities in the school environment.
Her application has improved academic grades for students, increased family involvement and confidence by 30%, and sped up the implementation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) by 33%, according to AfroTech.
The platform, which is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store, has already assisted over 1,800 families and analyzed more than 2,300 IEPs. Expert IEP offers a seven-day free trial. Founder Banks also plans to launch an enterprise version for school districts, which currently has a waitlist.
