+ Chapter 2: Assistive Technology To Support Writing By Emily, Eric, Halise, Meghan, Teri

+ Physical Disabilities Slant board Pencil grip AutoCorrect – for students who enter text very slowly Custom/Phonetic dictionaries – based on topic or to identify misspelled words by the way they sound Typing – for illegible handwriting Text-to-speech Folder with a non-slip mat Raised paper/Bright line paper/Color paper Letter and number stamps

+ Communication Disorders Graphic Organizers: to assist students in the planning process Word processing: no emphasis on spelling, less emphasis on getting the ideas in the right order the first time, more emphasis on content Custom dictionaries: for students with learning disabilities who have severe spelling problems Phonetic dictionaries: identify misspelled words by the way they sound, not just by the way they look Speech-to-text/Text-to-speech/Talking Spellcheck Talking word processors Word prediction

+ The Writing Process for Students with Learning Disabilities Prewriting: Graphic organizers on a computer such as Inspiration Software or Mindview Outlining applications such as DraftBuilder to plan ideas Drafting: Word processing tools such as Microsoft Word and Google Docs(students with handwriting issues) Word prediction tools such as WordQ or Google Scribe for students who have difficulty with spelling Speech recognition tools such as DragonNaturally, a speech to text program for students who have physical disabilities and can not type on a computer Editing and Revising: Talking spellchecks such as Write:Outloud can aid students with spelling difficulties Text to speech tools such as Write:Outloud can help students review what they have written in their drafts- students with reading disabilities can benefit from having their work read aloud to them so they can pick up on errors Homonym finders and word prediction tools can also be used to help edit and revise. These tools can help students develop their word choices Grammar checker on Microsoft Word can also pick up on spelling errors, fragments, and subject/verb agreement Sharing and publishing: Track Changes and Insert Comment features on Microsoft Word can be used to share and comment on classmate’s work Multimedia applications such as Prezi and PowerPoint can be used to share work through a visual format (pictures and text) Discussion boards, blogs, and wikis are also places where students can share their work online

+ Writing Tools for the Blind Signature guide – a cut out the size of a typical signature. A sighted person must put it on the signature line, then the blind person can use the guide Portable braille note taker – 2 different kinds (typical braille and QWERTY keyboard) Text-to-speech – a blind person can use it to dictate to a computer, then have the computer read it back to hear what they’ve composed

+ Tools for Note taking Desktop/Laptop/Microsoft Word Portable Word Processor Smartpen: captures handwriting and audio recordings Apple iPad: Using app called AudioNote and SoundPaper can capture teacher’s voice. Can sync with notes that were taken at the time of writing Capturing Devices: Attach to whiteboard and notes can be digitally collected Communication Access Realtime Translation: CART for the deaf or hard of hearing students. Used by the court systems results in verbatim recordings. Words displayed on the computer in real-time Cprint: Produces paraphrased note taking versions of the lecture. Also using abbreviations allows for the words to be instantaneous to the lectures speaking