AT and Learning Disabilities

Assistive Technology and Learning Disabilities by Janet Jendron, South Carolina Assistive Technology Program

Abstract: Assistive Technology can offer powerful tools to students with learning disabilities by providing remedial or compensatory support in the classroom and for independent learning. This article includes an overview of various hardware, software and low tech tools for students and teachers with a focus on literacy and a mention of available math tools. While there is an emphasis on middle and high school, many of the tools described are useful for elementary school students.

Learning disabilities are professionally diagnosed difficulties with reading, writing, speaking, listening, spelling or reasoning or math. They are thought to be a result of a central nervous system dysfunction. People with learning disabilities have trouble taking in information through their senses and processing that information accurately to the brain, scrambling information like a distorted radio signal or fuzzy television picture. A student who can think logically and clearly may note be able to write out a simple paragraph. An articulate, informed student might be unable to read a set of instructions.

To an untrained observer, a student with a learning disability might appear "lazy" or "just not trying hard enough." It may be hard for a teacher or parent to understand the large discrepancy between reading comprehension and proficiency in verbal ability. The observer sees only the input and output, not the difficulty in processing information that makes learning and expressing ideas difficult or impossible. Learning disabilities usually fall within four broad categories:

  • Spoken language - listening and speaking.
  • Written language - reading, writing and spelling.
  • Arithmetic - calculation and concepts.
  • Reasoning - organization and integration of ideas and thoughts.
Some students have overlapping difficulties and others may have a single, isolated problem. Students with learning disabilities may also have mobility or sensory impairments. Often people with Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADD/ADHD) also have learning disabilities.

What can assistive technology do?

With personal effort, support from others and appropriate tools (such as assistive technology), students with learning disabilities can be more successful in school, at home, at work, and in social/recreational activities. When considering assistive technology in any situation, the focus should be on what the device does for a person, not on the device or technology itself. Assistive technology is merely the support to “get the job done” more independently. It can reduce a student’s reliance on parents, siblings, friends and teachers, helping the transition into adulthood and fostering self-esteem and reducing anxiety.

Assistive technology can support both remedial and compensatory approaches for a student. A compensatory approach might be when a student listens to a taped version of the book for English class to answer questions about it, with the goal of bypassing a reading problem, not learning to read. If the student listens to the tape of the book or has a computer reading a scanned version of the book while following along with the text and trying to learn unfamiliar words, this would be a remedial approach, designed to improve areas of deficiency. Both approaches have value. Using only the remedial approach (sometimes with very slow and little benefit) can lead to burnout. Discouraged students benefit more from more immediate solutions to particular problems. For example, it may be best to give up the goal of learning to spell, in favor of using a “spell check,” so that a student can focus on getting thoughts on paper and not mechanical details that can become overwhelming barriers to self expression.

Christopher Lee, Director of Georgia’s Assistive Technology Project “Tools for Life,” knows first-hand about learning disabilities. In his junior year in college he discovered computers. "I loved the keyboard; it took away that dreaded piece of dead wood—the pencil," he says. "The keyboard was tactile; I could feel it, I could connect letters with physical action." Letters on a computer monitor appear much clearer to him than when he writes them on paper.  Spelling checkers cleaned up his frequent misspellings, and grammar checkers flagged muddled word distinctions. "The computer made a huge difference in my ability to learn," he says.

Christopher Lee also describes the essential issues surrounding math problems. “Math difficulties can be a challenge to remediate and/or accommodate. Many students with disabilities have histories of academic failure that contribute to the development of learned helplessness in math. Students may practice computing division facts but do not understand what division means. This lack of understanding fosters the student’s dependency on the teacher and promotes the belief that external help is needed to solve problems correctly. People with LD who have math problems usually have visual perception difficulties that affect their ability to see likenesses and differences in shape and form. Because math symbols represent a way to express numerical language concepts, language skills become very important to math achievement. Many students with learning disabilities have reading difficulties that interfere with their ability to solve word problems. The fear of failure and low self-esteem cause students to become so tense that their ability to solve problems and to learn or apply math concepts is impaired. Confused thinking, disorganization, avoidance behavior and math phobia are common results.”

Georgia's "Tools for Life" has excellent LD resources on their website at http://www.gatfl.org/ldguide/default.htm.

What assistive technology tools are available?

Described below are the most common devices and software used by students with learning disabilities. Many of these programs have free trial or downloads from the Internet.

Generally, computers can be very useful for students with disabilities because they cut out distractions, decrease the stress of stimuli and leave more of a student’s brain for thinking. Use of a keyboard may be a good alternative for the student who has a hard time with the coordination needed to produce good handwriting. Rather than agonize over improving handwriting in a losing battle, students can bypass this barrier and get right into the work itself.

“Web Toolboxes for Educators,” compiled by Dr. Cheryl Wissick at the USC College of Education, has descriptions and comparisons of many AT tools at http://www.ed.sc.edu/caw/toolboxvendors.html.

Word Processors back to top

When not preoccupied with the mechanical aspects of writing, students with learning disabilities are free to focus on the meaning of their written communication. They are better able to express themselves in a way that more accurately reflects their level of intelligence. Word Processing enables the student to write freely with the confidence that he/she will be easily and quickly able to make changes later. Being able to turn in a neater and better-organized document builds self-esteem in a way that may be especially important for students with learning disabilities.

Built-in word processor features are valuable tools for anyone, but can be critical to students with learning disabilities. Using spell and grammar checking can help the student stay focused on communication rather than getting bogged down in the process of trying unsuccessful to identify and correct errors. Abbreviation expansion (macros) can be used to let the student create his/her own abbreviations for frequently used words, phrases or standard pieces of text. This saves keystrokes and the time needed to produce a document, which can be critical in keeping a student motivated to finish the task. Large print displays, alternative colors on the computer screen, and voice output (in newer word processing programs) can help people who have trouble interpreting visual material. Many word processing programs can provide alternative visual formats (e.g., color-coded text) to help compensate for difficulty in organizing or sequencing thoughts and ideas.

Outlining programs (included as part of many word processing programs) automatically create Roman numerals for major headings, and letters and numbers for minor headings. If the student decides to move text around, the program reorganizes the outline appropriately. This means that students are free to “dump” their ideas on the computer screen without worrying about order, levels of importance or categories, because the text can be easily moved (and automatically reorganized) at a later time. These programs may be of value to individuals who have great ideas in their heads, but have trouble getting them down on paper.

Portable Word Processing Devices back to top

Portable word processors cost much less than a computer, are durable and lightweight (about 2 lbs., as compared to a laptop’s 6 to 7 lbs.). They use batteries that last longer than laptops (some up to 200 hours). The screen shows only words and letters, helping a student focus on writing language without the visual distractions of a computer. They are capable of saving quite a bit of information in separate files. They can be a good alternative for students who can type well enough to use a standard keyboard but for whom handwriting is not fast, neat, or functional. Some have typing tutorial programs, organizing software, spell checkers and word prediction, software to make spreadsheets, construct simple data bases, draw, paint, scientific calculators, graph software and word challenge games. They can be connected directly to a computer and printer (with a cable or infrared beam), so that text can be formatted and edited later. Keyboards may have alternate layouts, keyguards, adjustable sensitivity ('sticky keys') and repeat rate options.

With fewer options on the keyboard and more intuitive, simpler commands, portable word processors are very user-friendly, less daunting than a computer, and require much less of a learning curve for an emergent writer. Teachers who use a whole set of devices within a classroom report very positive results for students, as they are able to easily learn devices and quickly start writing more independently for classroom work.

Examples:

AlphaSmart: Explanations of how this device helps struggling students and helps improve writing skills can be found at

Other word processors:

Spell checkers back to top

Spell checkers are also available as stand-alone desktop and pocketsize tools. Stand-alone spell checkers require users to enter the word (the way they think it is spelled) on a small keyboard. Some devices will simply verify and correct the spelling on a small screen; others offer a complete dictionary and thesaurus. Other devices actually “speak” the words with a speech synthesizer, so the word can be heard as well as seen. These devices are particularly valuable because they change phonetic spelling into correctly spelled words with more accuracy spell checking software.

Examples:

Tape recorders back to top

Students with reading problems can work around their problems by listening to recorded text (books, journals, newspapers) rather than reading it. Most public libraries and many bookstores sell books-on-tape. Not all audiotapes work on all tape recorders; they may have varying speeds and formats. Tape recorders can be used to capture spoken information, such as a teacher’s instructions or a classroom lecture. This permanent record allows people to refer back to an oral presentation. People who have difficulty processing, understanding or remembering what they hear may find this helpful. Variable speech control (VSC) tape recorders enable the listener to play audiotaped text faster or slower than it was originally recorded, without losing the actual sounds of the words. Some students understand spoken language better at a slower pace and others find that they can review material faster by speeding up the tape.

Text Reading Systems (Text to Voice) back to top

These systems allow text on screen (document, Web page or e-mail) to be read aloud through a computer's sound card. If the material isn’t already in electronic format, hard copy text is scanned and converted to text file that can be read by software with Optical Character Recognition (OCR). The computer can then read the words back using a speech synthesizer and simultaneously present the words on screen.

Reading systems are especially helpful to those who are better listeners than readers. Reading systems allow the student to highlight a word, sentence, or paragraph using contrasting colors. The reader can choose to have one word at a time appear on the screen if that helps understanding. Experiencing words with sight and hearing helps promote learning, and following the highlighted words in sequence across the page is particularly valuable to students with learning disabilities.

Many reading systems have dictionaries and a thesaurus that can be customized for particular subjects or books, so that definitions can be read aloud to the student. Some include study skills toolbars and ways to extract notes for review, summary and outlining.

Reading systems can be used to help a student edit his or her writing. Hearing the text may help the student catch writing errors such as problems with grammar, or words that have been left out, errors they might not have noticed by visually reading it. Listening to text may also help users determine if their writing makes sense, and if it really means what they are trying to say.  Hearing one's writing read out loud usually inspires better editing for content as well as fluency.

Almost every screenreader offers a free trial or download, and some simple programs are free as a download off the Internet. 

Commonly Used Screenreading software:

Scanning hard copy print takes time. Sources for electronic text are increasing, and more web-based textbooks are becoming available. Some of these sources are listed below.

The Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library has an outstanding list of free e-book sites with a description of each at http://www.stockton.lib.ca.us/ebooks.htm#free.

Other e-book sites:

Word Prediction back to top

Word prediction programs work together with word processors. They predict the word a person wants to enter into the computer. The person types the first letter of a word, and the program offers a list of words beginning with that letter. If the right word appears on the list, it can be chosen and automatically inserted into the sentence. If the right word doesn’t appear, the student continues to type the next letter until it does appear. After the user chooses a word, the computer predicts the next word in the sentence. Again, it offers a list of possible words, even before the first letter is typed. Predictions are based upon the sentence content and spelling, as well as the number of times a word is used. Word prediction may be helpful to students who have trouble with spelling, grammar, or using a keyboard (by reducing the number of keystrokes needed). These programs may also assist people who struggle to come up with the exact word they want to use in a sentence.

For spelling, word predictions programs can be either liberating or limiting. For students who can write the first several letters of a word with relative accuracy, it is very helpful in predicting longer, more complicated words. If the word prediction program doesn’t recognize phonetic similarities, it might be frustrating for a student who lacks strong sound-symbol skills. If a student doesn’t like having his or her flow of writing interrupted, word prediction might not work very well. If a student has trouble with word recognition, word prediction should be used with synthesized speech.

Good links to word prediction software combined with text-to-speech software can be found at Cheryl Wissick’s “Toolbox for Educators” at http://www.ed.sc.edu/caw/toolboxvendors.html#word

Reading Pens back to top

Portable pocket-sized “reading pens” use a miniaturized optical scanning system to allow a student to scan single words on a hard copy page (e.g., in a textbook) and have the word read aloud with a built-in speech synthesizer. These are available in several languages and provide word definitions, also read aloud. Another product by this same company is an electronic highlighter that lets a student copy, clip and store printed text, Internet Links, tables and charts, from newspaper articles, books and documents, and transfer the data to a computer, PDA or text-enabled cell phone. These products are relatively new on the market, so their potential use for students with learning disabilities is still being evaluated. Dr. Paul Gerber at Virginia Commonwealth University did a study on the use of these pens with students and adults at a metropolitan literacy center, which can be found at http://www.aelweb.vcu.edu/word/qpen.doc.

The pens were useful for spelling and word definitions. They prevented frustration while reading and the portability of the pens increased independent reading (e.g., at home). There were some problems with the pens, such as the ability to pick up smaller fonts or handwritten text and accuracy of scanning. The learning curve for most students was acceptable, although the pace of the pen was sometimes too slow for the students and some felt that the dictionary definitions should be simpler. The impact of the pens on reading comprehension was mixed for the participants. One tutor commented that the pen might aid reading comprehension, but not for her student who was a beginning reader.

The Quicktionary Reading Pen web site is http://www.wizcomtech.com/index.php3.

Concept Mapping/Software for Organizing Ideas back to top

Some students have real trouble getting the great ideas “in their heads” down on paper. Brainstorming/concept mapping and outlining programs allow them to “dump” information in an unstructured way so they can be organized later, in a “free form” graphic approach. Basically, the student creates a diagram of his or her ideas before writing an outline. First, the user types a main idea into the computer. That idea is displayed on the computer screen as text or even as a picture/symbol. Then the user types in related ideas that appear in different shape such as circles, ovals or rectangles surrounding the main idea. Ideas can be linked with the main idea, or with each other, by drawing lines Ideas are easily moved and placed into different groups. After the diagram is completed, it can be changed to an outline automatically.

For example, a student may have a vivid picture in his or her head about the Holocaust, but need help. Concept mapping can help her or him put words on that “videotape in his head.”

This type of program works well for visual learners who need to see ideas mapped out – literally. It helps a student who has trouble working in a purely text-based environment. It helps prevent students from getting bogged down in the details of an essay. By mapping out ideas graphically, students stay focused on the main ideas. Students who have trouble generating details to support main ideas are able to see the problem more easily.

Examples:

Speech Recognition back to top

Speech recognition systems allow a person to operate a computer by speaking to it. In combination with a word processor, the user dictates to the system through a microphone.
The user can speak either with pauses between words (discrete speech) or in a normal talking manner (continuous speech). The discrete product, although slower, may be the better choice for students with learning disabilities because identifying errors can be done as they occur. With continuous speech, making corrections after the fact requires good reading skills. Speech recognition technology requires that the user have moderately good reading comprehension to correct the program's text output. If the system incorrectly recognizes a word, the user can choose the correct word from a list of similar sounding words displayed on the screen. The more the system is used, the better it becomes at recognizing the user’s spoken language. Speech recognition systems may be most helpful to students whose oral language abilities are stronger than their written language abilities. It entirely eliminates the act of spelling, as well as keyboarding or handwriting, allowing a student to focus entirely on sentence structure, rhetoric, and critical analysis.

Sophisticated systems allow a person to dictate from 40-70 words a minutes. The systems eventually learn the phonetic characteristics of each person’s voice. The more the system is used, the better it is able to understand the user.  The success of these systems depends on the ability of the person to “train” the computer, to distinguish between a mistake in “hearing” by the computer or in “talking” by the user. The training process is intense and new users can become frustrated before getting to the point where voice input is successful. It takes patience and for many students, consistent support from others, even several one-on-one sessions with an experienced instructor. Often a higher quality microphone works better than the one that comes with the software and it is important that the same microphone be used consistently.

Examples:

Organizational Software/Personal Information Managers (PIMs) back to top 

Personal data managers are available as software packages for a computer or as electronic hand-held devices. They can help students with organizational or memory difficulties. These managers provide a way to store and retrieve large amounts of personal information easily (e.g., phone numbers, addresses, important dates, appointments, and reminders). Some hand-held units permit the exchange of information between the device and a computer. Some hand-held units allow the user to enter and retrieve information by speaking into the device. Stored information is spoken back in the user’s own voice.

Personal Information can help students with learning disabilities organize schedules and information. The cues provided by these tools can help keep a student keep on task, providing visual alternatives to represent what work needs to be done and what has been accomplished. In order to be helpful, the student needs to have the discipline and attention skills to check the device on his/her own.

Examples:


Low Tech Solutions back to top

Using common office supplies like “post-its,” highlighter pens, or highlighter tape (which can be removed from textbooks) can help a student sort and prioritizing thoughts, ideas and concepts. Highlighter transparency sheets help some students. Raised line paper or pencil grips can help with handwriting. Alternative writing surfaces (white boards), alternative writing implements (magnetic letters, alphabet stamps) can make a difference. Many of these tools can be made by hand.

Examples:

WebQuests back to top 

WebQuests are designed online (or saved to a CD) to help students gather information about a particular topic by visiting different sites that show information in many different formats, which is especially helpful to a student with learning disabilities. This previously designed, inquiry-oriented activity helps keep the student on task by directing his or her Internet search, focusing on using information rather than looking for it. A well-designed WebQuest supports analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

South Carolina Assistive Technology Program has a compiled list of Web Quest examples and resources at http://www.sc.edu/scatp/temphome/webquests.htm.

Multimedia Presentations and Creativity/Authoring Software back to top

These tools can combine written word, content, graphics animation and sound in an interesting, creative, visual, interactive format and presentation. Information can be presented in a variety of modalities and a simplified grammar structure, making comprehension easier for a person with limited receptive language abilities. Students can access the lessons simply with mouse, touch window, trackballs, and other simpler computer access solutions. Students can set up activities for other students, and the lessons are easily reproduced for other teachers, students, or for use at home. South Carolina Assistive Technology Program’s “Cool Tools” page provides some good web resources at http://www.sc.edu/scatp/cooltools.htm.

Microsoft describes how Windows can be used to adapt materials for students with disabilities at http://www.microsoft.com/enable/news/education.aspx. On this page is also a link to other instructions for adapting activities using PowerPoint and other Windows programs at http://www.rcs.k12.in.us/eses/closing_the_gap.htm.

Jim Fuller provides an online tutorial for creating talking books with PowerPoint http://www.southwest.com.au/~jfuller/powerpoint/ppt.htm. A good example of a Farm Animals PowerPpoint book created by younger students can be downloaded and is found at http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/upton/FarmRiddles.html.

Hyperstudio is a multimedia authoring program that has been used for years by teachers, found at http://www.hyperstudio.com/.

FM Listening Systems back to top

Personal FM listening systems bring a speaker’s voice directly into a listener’s ear through a small transmitter unit (with a microphone), and an equally small receiver unit (with a head- or earphone). These wireless systems make the speaker’s voice sound stronger, which benefits those who have difficulty focusing on what a speaker is saying. A dial on the receiver unit controls the volume.

Talking calculators back to top

Talking calculators use a built-in speech synthesizer to speak number, symbol or operation keys as they are pressed. They also read answers from completed calculations. Hearing the numbers or symbols may help some people find input errors, such as pressing the wrong key. Also, hearing the answer aloud helps users double-check for errors that may have been made when copying numbers, such as transposing 91 for 19, or confusing a 6 with a 9.

Electronic math worksheets back to top

These worksheets can help a student organize, align and navigate through basic math problems on a computer screen. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems are entered via keyboard or mouse and automatically aligned to the correct vertical format. Numbers on the screen can be read aloud by a speech synthesizer. These software programs may be helpful for individuals who have difficulty organizing and aligning math problems with pencil and paper. Examples are given at http://www.gatfl.org/ldguide/math.htm.

Math software back to top

Computers and software programs allow students who have trouble using traditional math tools to participate in math activities to construct and manipulate objects for counting, sorting, combining and completing related work sheets. In “10 Tips for Software Selection for Math Instruction” Dr. Beatrice Babbitt gives practical guidelines for choosing software. This excellent resource is found at http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/technology/babbitt_math_tips.html.

A good summary of various math software products for younger children can be found at http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/ATBasics/Curriculum/Math/curricular.php. Products from Riverdeep, IntelliTools and Nordic are described. While these programs provide good instruction for any student, they may be particularly important for students with learning disabilities who especially need repetitive visual and sound components.

“Your Math Buddy,” developed by Sawmill Software is priced between $10 - $20.00 and found at http://www.sawmillsoftware.com/

What are some good LD and AT resources? back to top

"NEW!" Reading Matrix from the National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI) offers a Reading Matrix, a "Review of Technology-Based Approaches for Reading Instruction: Tools for Researchers and Vendors." This matrix is intended to serve as a resource that matches technology tools with supporting literature on promising practices for the instruction of reading for students with disabilities. It is organized into the following areas: Building Skills and Comprehension, Convert Text to Speech, Providing Text in Alternate Formats, Providing Electronic Resources, Organizing Ideas and Integrating Literacy Supports.
http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/matrix/default.asp

“Web Toolboxes for Educators,” compiled by Dr. Cheryl Wissick at the USC College of Education, has descriptions and comparisons of Alternative Web Browsers, Speech  Recognition, Reading Skills, Talking Word Processors, Alternative Word Processors, Creative Writing, Text-to-Speech Tools, Word Prediction, Text-to-Speech Combinations, Reading Comprehension &Expression, Comprehensive Programs and Homework and Reading Tools
http://www.ed.sc.edu/caw/toolboxvendors.html

Landmark College AT Pages. This is a very practical guide for college students who need to use all kinds of assistive technology. Each kind of technology is evaluated, strengths and weaknesses mentioned, and tips for success provided.
http://www.landmarkcollege.org/natlinst/assistive_technology/
writing/tech.htm

Georgia’s Assistive Technology Project’s “Learning Disabilities and Assistive Technologies” provides a comprehensive and practical guide, incorporating AT evaluation, and information on specific difficulties (e.g., reading, writing, memory organization and math) and providing success stories of adolescents and adults using assistive technology to help them live more independently.
http://www.gatfl.org/ldguide/default.htm

LD Online lists description and sources for AT in the following categories: Keyboarding Resources, On-line Resources for Assistive Technology, Listening/ Note-taking Resources, Variable speed control tape recorders, listening aides, talking calculators, Text-to-speech, screen-reading software, portable reading pens, optical character recognition software, audio books, math software and hardware, Studying/ Organizing Resources, Spell-checkers, "talking" word processors with speech synthesis, word prediction software and word processing packages, speech recognition software, Software for brainstorming, organizing and bringing out creativity. http://www.ldonline.org/

The Schwab Foundation for Learning offers a concise guide, “Assistive Technology for Children with Learning Difficulties” at http://www.frostig.org/pdf/ATguide.pdf (requires Adobe Reader)

The University of Washington’s “Working Together: Computers and People with Learning Disabilities” provides a concise summary of the challenges and tools available to people with learning disabilities.
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/atpwld.html.

The University of Washington also offers a twelve-minute video demonstrating key points in this handout. Purchase information is at http://www.washington.edu/doit/Video/wt_learn.html.

Customizing Technology Solutions for College Students with Learning Disabilities by Joan M. Bisagno and Rachael M. Haven. This long article gives examples of tools and case studies. http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/technology/
customizing_technology.html. 

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