# data[].attributes.body
Multiple Means of Representation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The page you’re seeking may have been moved or may no longer exist. Try going to our home page, using our website navigation, or by using our search at the top of the page to find what you’re looking for.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With Dragon Professional Individual for Mac, it's quick and easy to create custom voice commands to quickly insert frequently-used text. This feature lets you insert a standard reply, a signature block, a form template or other boilerplate content by speaking a simple command for significant time savings.

# data[].attributes.body
A slant board and writing grip for a pencil

# data[].attributes.body
Low Tech writing tools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
About Universal Design for Learning - CAST

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn more about the UDL framework and the UDL Guidelines, developed and maintained by CAST.

# data[].attributes.body
High Tech tools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Sheryl Knapp, A/AOGPE and Shelley Lacey-Castelot, MS, ATACP

An array of solutions is available for students who struggle with all facets of writing, including spelling, letter formation, and organization. Portable word processors, spelling/grammar checkers, and sentence expansion software are commonplace.

Word prediction software also is a powerful tool, providing increasingly refined "guesses" at words as additional letters are entered. (A limitation of this type of software is that typically the second or third letter in words is a vowel, which tends to be problematic for students who struggle with spelling.)

Graphic organizers help students preplan and organize information for writing, even when entered non-sequentially.

The latest and most rapidly expanding technology for struggling writers is speech-recognition software, which converts speech into printed text. In newer versions, speech-detection accuracy is nearly perfect for students who receive appropriate training and have the right equipment. As a positive side benefit, students that become accustomed to dictating specific punctuation often grow more attuned to punctuation in general.

Software even exists for "reading" the text in PowerPoint presentations, enabling students who struggle with reading and writing to add their own bullet points, and then have the PowerPoint presentation read to a class as they present it.

Many of these technologies can be used individually, but they are often more powerful in combination (e.g. text-to-speech software coupled with speech-recognition software). They are also becoming increasingly portable, with speech-to-text software and other functionality now available on many smartphones, iPads, and laptops.

Videos for Learning: Discovery Education; various available through www.donjohnston.com (e.g., Incite! series); Google videos, YouTube
iPad Apps for Writing iPad Apps for Note-Taking
SmartPen for Note-Taking (with synchronized audio and notes):

Livescribe Echo SmartPen

Livescribe SkyPen

Livescribe 3 SmartPen

Sheryl Knapp is the founder and President of Literacy Learning and Assessment Center of Connecticut. Knapp has Associate Level certification with the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators. Shelley Lacey-Castelot is the Director of Literacy Solutions in Oxford, CT, and an expert in the evaluation and use of assistive technology for students with learning disabilities and attention disorders.
Related Smart Kids Topics (link titles below to articles of same name)

Managing LD/ADHD * Assistive Technology * Treatment & Support for LD * Academic Skills * Accommodations & Modifications

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By Sheryl Knapp, A/AOGPE and Shelley Lacey-Castelot, MS, ATACP An array of solutions is available for students who struggle with all facets of writing, including spelling, letter formation, and organization. Portable word processors, spelling/grammar checkers, and sentence expansion software are commonplace.

# data[].attributes.body
Types of Low Tech ideas when it comes to writing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
Potential of Speech Recognition for Secondary Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Assistive Technology Tools, Tips and Tricks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Highlighting pens (highlighters) are used as study and prewriting tools. Kids highlight main ideas, facts, and details, such as definitions, numbers, dates, people, and places, to help them study for tests or gather information for a report or a paper.

# data[].attributes.body
Low Tech

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Postsecondary Settings: Multiple means of representation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Site Map | Accessibility Info | About Us | Contact us | Events | SDDL Faculty Professional Development | Mentoring Partnership Project | Personnel | Presentations and Posters | Products/Publications | Resources | Resource Downloads | SDDL Replication | Survey & Assessment | Webinar Series | Copyright Notice

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Technology can be a huge boost for adults and kids who struggle with writing. A keyboard, for example, can help people who have trouble using a pen or pencil. Assistive technology (AT) tools like this can make the physical act of writing easier. AT can also help with spelling and grammar, and with organizing and expressing thoughts in writing.

To understand the options, here's a guide to AT tools for writing, and where to find them.

Types of Assistive Technology Tools for Writing

There's a wide range of AT tools for writing. Here are some of the most helpful ones.

Handwriting tools can help people who have trouble with motor skills. For example, a pencil grip makes it easier to hold a pencil properly. A slant board raises the writing surface to give more leverage for handwriting. And lined or graph paper can help with writing in straight lines.

Keyboards and touchscreens can also help people who struggle with handwriting. Keyboards and touchscreens let you input letters and words through typing or touching the screen, rather than by using a pen or pencil.

Dictation (speech-to-text)allows you to write by using your voice. As you speak, the words appear on the screen. Keep in mind that to use dictation, you have to be able to speak clearly. You also need to learn verbal commands for things like punctuation. Some dictation software can also be used to convert audio recordings into digital text.

Word prediction suggests correct spellings of words after only a few letters are typed. Word prediction sometimes uses "word banks" (commonly used words in a topic area) to help writers come up with words and complete their sentences. Keep in mind that unlike dictation, word prediction requires using a keyboard.

Spell-check and grammar check are available on most word processors. Some AT tools for writing take spell-check and grammar check to the next level by checking for incorrect words that sound alike or that don't make sense in context.

Text-to-speech (TTS)is typically thought of as a reading tool. But TTS can also help with writing. That's because it can read aloud what's written, so you can check for mistakes. Some TTS tools can also read words aloud as they're typed.

Graphic organizers are visual tools that help break down ideas and projects into smaller parts. You can use these tools to brainstorm and plan what you want to write. Graphic organizers come in many forms, from mind maps to diagrams to flow charts. They can be digital or pen and paper.

Dictionaries and thesauri (print or digital) let you define a word or find the right one. There are different types of dictionaries and thesauri, too. For example, a picture dictionary uses images to define words.

Where to Get Assistive Technology for Writing

Many writing tools are "low-tech." This is especially true of handwriting tools. You can find pencil grips and graph paper, for instance, in most school supply stores. The school may also offer these tools.

When you're selecting a handwriting tool, an occupational therapist can give helpful advice. They can tell you which tools are the best fit, and they have access to a bigger selection of tools than a typical store. They can also talk you through the options for keyboarding or touchscreens. Special education teachers may be able to help you choose AT tools, too.

As with other AT, tools for writing are being used more and more on computer platforms:

Desktop and laptop computers: Computers often have built-in AT tools, like TTS and dictation. You can also download software for writing to add more AT tools.

Mobile devices (like tablets and smartphones): Mobile devices also have built-in AT. You can add more writing tools to mobile devices with apps.

Chromebooks (and Chrome browsers on any device): These have built-in AT options, too. You can add Chrome apps and extensions for more ways to help with writing.

Desktops and laptops, as well as Chrome, usually use keyboards for typing, but many computers now have touchscreens. And while the main way to use a mobile device is with a touchscreen, people who prefer typing can use an external keyboard.

Get a checklist of questions to ask about AT tools. And hear from a student who uses dictation technology for college essays.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Technology can be a huge boost for adults and kids who struggle with writing. A keyboard, for example, can help people who have trouble using a pen or pencil. Assistive technology (AT) tools like this can make the physical act of writing easier.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are lots of assistive technology (AT) tools that can help people who have trouble reading, like people with dyslexia. Learn what tools are available.