The following information is based on a presentation by Shelley Lacey-Castelot, ATACP, MS for Smart Kids with LD.
For students with language learning disabilities, assistive technology (AT) are powerful tools and autonomy. When properly combined student needs, AT allows access to the content level for the oral language skills of the child level and cognitive abilities, thus leveling the playing field with their classmates.
Reading solutions
Children who struggle with decoding, fluency, comprehension, and other language skills often e-readers are invaluable. The integrated dictionary, thesaurus, and study support for students to get definitions and synonyms online, highlight important text, and even extract the text to create an outline or summary of the text and voice notes. I built allows scanning of printed text to be converted to audio, which is then read to the student.
The voice quality of text readers has improved dramatically, sounding almost human, and students are able to choose from a range of voice and adjust the speed and phrasing. Portable electronic readers that can scan text in the instance of the demand for a restaurant menu are also available. While not a replacement for the explicit teaching of reading, research suggests that these devices can improve fluency through repeated exposure to the same words.
Students can also gain access to course content through videos, widely available online and through DVDs. This medium is very powerful for many students with learning differences-particularly those who have difficulty with language, because it helps them to assign words and concepts with visual images they see.
Electronic readers to consider
Blio (still in beta)
Read: OutLoud
Premier Literacy Suite
ReadPlease
Kurzweil 3000
Read & Write Gold TextHelp
WYNN
Microsoft Reader
EText Reader
NaturalReader
ClaroReader
Support for writing
A wide range of solutions are available for students who struggle with all aspects of writing, including spelling, letter formation, and organization. Laptop text processors, spelling checkers / grammar, and sentence expansion software have become common. Word prediction software is also a powerful tool, providing increasingly sophisticated "guesses" in words such as additional letters are introduced. (A limitation of this type of software is usually the second or third letter in words is a vowel, which tends to be problematic for students who have difficulty with spelling). Graphic organizers help students inquire into coherent passages, even when entered not sequential.
The latest technology and rapid expansion for struggling writers is a voice recognition software that converts printed text language. In newer versions, the speech detection accuracy is almost perfect for students who are adequately trained and have the proper equipment. As a positive side benefit, students who are used to dictate specific punctuation often grow more attuned to grammatical concepts in general. Software even exist to "read" text in PowerPoint presentations, allowing students who have difficulty with reading add your own bullets.
Many of these technologies can be used individually, but often are more powerful in combination (eg, word prediction software, along with voice recognition software). They are also increasingly portable time with voice to text software, and other functionality is already available on many smartphones and standard notebooks.
Write technologies to consider
Devices Spelling: Franklin Speller
Portable word processors: AlphaSmart 3000; Calcusribe; QuikPad; Fusion writer
Grammar Checkers / spelling / homophone: White Smoke Grammar-Spell Assistant; Ellipsis Annagrammatical Spelling Assistant; KeyStone Homophone scanner
Word Prediction Software: Co: Writer; WordQ; Wordsmith (Texthelp);
Software prediction of words combined with speech recognition software: SpeakQ
Graphic Organizers: Interactive Report Writer; Inspiration; Kidspiration; Draft: Builder; VYM (View Your Mind); MindMapper USB; Belvedere; C-Map; FreeMind; compendium; ThinkGraph
Online Writing: Writing fun; Wacky Web Tales; Writing Fix; Read / Write / Think; OurStory; Memograph; ToonDoo; Spelling Ginger; Ghotoit; Scholastic: Starters History for grades 1-4; MyWebspiration (Beta inspiration)
Read-Write Bars: My StudyBar; Kurzweil; Premier Literacy; Read and Write Gold 7
Voice Recognition Software: Dragon NaturallySpeaking; ViaVoice; Mac Speak; Microsoft Speech Engine
Voice Recognition Software is combined with software for dyslexic writers SpeechMaster (Dragon NaturallySpeaking combined with KeyStone ScreenSPeaker)
Portable Solutions: Dragon for Blackberry, iPhone; Voice on the Go; kReader Mobile
Videos for Learning: Discovery Education; available through several www.donjohnston.com (eg Incite! series).
For students with language learning disabilities, assistive technology (AT) are powerful tools and autonomy. When properly combined student needs, AT allows access to the content level for the oral language skills of the child level and cognitive abilities, thus leveling the playing field with their classmates.
Reading solutions
Children who struggle with decoding, fluency, comprehension, and other language skills often e-readers are invaluable. The integrated dictionary, thesaurus, and study support for students to get definitions and synonyms online, highlight important text, and even extract the text to create an outline or summary of the text and voice notes. I built allows scanning of printed text to be converted to audio, which is then read to the student.
The voice quality of text readers has improved dramatically, sounding almost human, and students are able to choose from a range of voice and adjust the speed and phrasing. Portable electronic readers that can scan text in the instance of the demand for a restaurant menu are also available. While not a replacement for the explicit teaching of reading, research suggests that these devices can improve fluency through repeated exposure to the same words.
Students can also gain access to course content through videos, widely available online and through DVDs. This medium is very powerful for many students with learning differences-particularly those who have difficulty with language, because it helps them to assign words and concepts with visual images they see.
Electronic readers to consider
Blio (still in beta)
Read: OutLoud
Premier Literacy Suite
ReadPlease
Kurzweil 3000
Read & Write Gold TextHelp
WYNN
Microsoft Reader
EText Reader
NaturalReader
ClaroReader
Support for writing
A wide range of solutions are available for students who struggle with all aspects of writing, including spelling, letter formation, and organization. Laptop text processors, spelling checkers / grammar, and sentence expansion software have become common. Word prediction software is also a powerful tool, providing increasingly sophisticated "guesses" in words such as additional letters are introduced. (A limitation of this type of software is usually the second or third letter in words is a vowel, which tends to be problematic for students who have difficulty with spelling). Graphic organizers help students inquire into coherent passages, even when entered not sequential.
The latest technology and rapid expansion for struggling writers is a voice recognition software that converts printed text language. In newer versions, the speech detection accuracy is almost perfect for students who are adequately trained and have the proper equipment. As a positive side benefit, students who are used to dictate specific punctuation often grow more attuned to grammatical concepts in general. Software even exist to "read" text in PowerPoint presentations, allowing students who have difficulty with reading add your own bullets.
Many of these technologies can be used individually, but often are more powerful in combination (eg, word prediction software, along with voice recognition software). They are also increasingly portable time with voice to text software, and other functionality is already available on many smartphones and standard notebooks.
Write technologies to consider
Devices Spelling: Franklin Speller
Portable word processors: AlphaSmart 3000; Calcusribe; QuikPad; Fusion writer
Grammar Checkers / spelling / homophone: White Smoke Grammar-Spell Assistant; Ellipsis Annagrammatical Spelling Assistant; KeyStone Homophone scanner
Word Prediction Software: Co: Writer; WordQ; Wordsmith (Texthelp);
Software prediction of words combined with speech recognition software: SpeakQ
Graphic Organizers: Interactive Report Writer; Inspiration; Kidspiration; Draft: Builder; VYM (View Your Mind); MindMapper USB; Belvedere; C-Map; FreeMind; compendium; ThinkGraph
Online Writing: Writing fun; Wacky Web Tales; Writing Fix; Read / Write / Think; OurStory; Memograph; ToonDoo; Spelling Ginger; Ghotoit; Scholastic: Starters History for grades 1-4; MyWebspiration (Beta inspiration)
Read-Write Bars: My StudyBar; Kurzweil; Premier Literacy; Read and Write Gold 7
Voice Recognition Software: Dragon NaturallySpeaking; ViaVoice; Mac Speak; Microsoft Speech Engine
Voice Recognition Software is combined with software for dyslexic writers SpeechMaster (Dragon NaturallySpeaking combined with KeyStone ScreenSPeaker)
Portable Solutions: Dragon for Blackberry, iPhone; Voice on the Go; kReader Mobile
Videos for Learning: Discovery Education; available through several www.donjohnston.com (eg Incite! series).
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