Technology and Learning Disabilities

My brother had a head injury as a young child.  It was a standing joke in the family.  "Were you dropped on your head as a kid or what?...Well yes I was.  Actually it was a large seashell that fell off the wall and dented my skull."  So he has problems reading.  He can read.  It's just painfully show and he says all the letters get mixed up in his head.

I did a couple of things with him while I was up at his house.  I showed him the Text-to-speech feature of my Kindle.  I also showed him the text-to-speech feature of my Mac laptop.  Then I lost my voice.  Completely.  So he talked and I talked back to him in a computer voice from my laptop.  He could read things I'd written in portable document files (.pdf) and I could type single lines of text and answer his questions.  The computer did all the reading to him and speaking for me.  My voice came back.  I turned the speech function off.

There are lots of things technology can do to help people with learning problems and there's a wide variety of computer types of devices that can be used.  I can send PDF files via email to my Kindle book reader.  I can change the size of the type on the books I download.  I can have the Kindle speak in a male or female voice with slow or fast rate of speech.  On my Mac I can change the screen colors, change the size of type, have the computer talk, have designated keys.  I can hook up programs that will allow the computer to type while I talk over headphones.  I can have email sent to my smart phone from my laptop.  I can send it to a wireless printer and have it print.  I can have it calculate with applications.  I have an iTouch with applications.  There are applications that will calculate, let me read books, help me stay focused on tasks, and let me stay in touch with people for support.


Some people have difficulty reading.  Computer-based accommodations for Dyslexia may not require specialized hardware or software. For example, a person with Dyslexia can benefit from regularly using built-in word processor features such as spell checking, grammar checking, font size and color changes.  Lots of people have difficulty seeing certain colors.  Many word processing programs also include the ability to outline thoughts, providing alternative visual formats, and ways to emphasize information that may compensate for difficulty in organizing words and ideas.  Additionally, color-coded text options and outline capabilities present in many word processing programs are useful tools for those with difficulty sorting and sequencing information found in text.  A word processor can also be used as a compensatory tool for a person with dysgraphia (difficulty writing). Use of a keyboard may be a viable alternative for an individual who has difficulty expressing his thoughts via handwriting.An individual who can take in information through listening much better than by reading may benefit from using a reading system. These systems allow text on screen (document, web page, or email) to be read aloud through the computer's sound card. A scanner and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software (e.g., Freedom Scientific's WYNN or Kurzweil 3000) adds the feature of reading printed text. Hard copy text is placed on the scanner where it is converted into a digital image. This image is then converted to a text file, making the characters recognizable by the computer. The computer can then read the words back using a speech synthesizer and simultaneously present the words on screen.

Assistance with reading in technology includes options such as highlighting a word, sentence, or paragraph using contrasting colors. Increasing the size of the text displayed on the screen as well as changing text color can increase reading comprehension for some people with specific learning disabilities.

Some individuals have difficulty organizing and integrating thoughts and ideas while writing. Concept mapping software allows for visual representation of ideas and concepts. These representations are presented in a physical manner and can be connected with arrows to show the relationship between ideas. These graphically represented ideas can be linked, rearranged, color coded, and matched with a variety of icons to suit the need of the user. Concept mapping software can be used as a structure for starting and organizing such diverse writing projects as poetry, term papers, resumes, schedules, or even computer programs. Some programs will allow you to easily go from text to linked shapes, to formal outline and back.

People with Dyslexia often spell phonetically, making use of word prediction or spell checking software less useful. Devices (e.g., Franklin Electronic Dictionary ™) or software (YakYak ™) that renders phonetic spelling into correctly spelled words may be useful tools.

Spelling words correctly while typing can be a challenge for some people with Dyslexia. Word prediction programs prompt the user with a list of most likely word choices based upon what has been typed so far. Rather than experiencing the frustration of remembering the spelling of a word, the writer can refer to the predictive list, choose the desired word and continue with the expression of thoughts and ideas.

Speech recognition products provide appropriate tools for individuals with a wide range of learning disabilities. Speech recognition software takes the spoken word via a microphone and converts it to machine-readable format. The user speaks into a microphone either with pauses between words (discrete speech) or in a normal talking manner (continuous speech). The discrete product, although slower, is often the better choice for those with LDs because errors can be identified as they occur. Making corrections after the fact using continuous speech requires proficient reading skills. Speech recognition technology requires that the user have moderately good reading comprehension to correct the program's text output.

Organizing schedules and information is difficult for some people with dyslexia or a non-verbal learning disorder. Personal Information Managers (PIMs) such as a Palm Pilot or Casio  or organizational software such as Microsoft Outlook  or Lotus Organizer or calendar systems can accommodate these disabilities.

A talking calculator is an appropriate tool for people with Dyscalculia (impaired calculation skills). The synthesized voice output of a talking calculator provides feedback to the user that helps them identify any input errors. Additionally, hearing the calculated answer can provide a check against the transposition of numbers commonly reversed in reading by people with Dyslexia or Dyscalculia.

Not all assistive technology for people with LDs is computer-based. The use of common office supplies such as Post-It Notes™ and highlighter pens provide elegantly simple means of sorting and prioritizing thoughts, ideas, and concepts. Often, tools of one's own making provide the most effective and comfortable accommodations for learning difficulties.  Setting up index cards, laminating them and attaching magnetic backs allow for use on household appliance to keep track of multiple step tasks.

When deciding to purchase software, hardware, or even low-tech materials to help someone with a disability it's important to get input from the person who will be using the materials.  All learning problems are individual to a large degree and what works for one person may not work for another.   It's important for the disabled person to get hands on experience with anything they want to try.