Kate:
I am working as part of a task force on a pilot project designed to help students with Learning Disabilities. As their computer instructor, adaptive software instructor, and technical support person, I've dealt with students with learning disabilities a fair bit.
We use textHelp! (www.texthelp.com) as a screen reader, and as a writing tool. This product allows students to write and have the text read back to them, which is great as the LD student can HEAR what they REALLY wrote. That helps them to answer the question: "Is what I wrote what I really wanted to say?" This software product can also be used to read whatever is on the screen, so the student can pass the mouse over menu items, screens from the Internet, etc., and have textHelp read it back to them.
Another feature this software has is an excellent spell checker that can check as the student writes; this product includes a dyslexic speller. It's much better than the ones that come with most word processing packages. It also offers a great word prediction tool (for help with spelling) and a homonym feature that gives a short description of a word if you type a homonym (eg: their, they're, there).
Another product that we use is Kurzweil 3000 (www.lshl.com). This program allows you to scan newspapers, instruction sheets, text books, etc., and it appears EXACTLY as it does on the page. Then, Kurzweil reads it aloud, highlighting the text in a yellow box as it reads. Its recognition is far superior to that of most other products. This program is great for students who have visual perception problems, as the computer reads to them and they can follow along. It is also helpful with auditory processing problems because the student can alter the speed of reading to their comfort leel.
The third product we use is Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred. This product allows the student to dictate into the computer, and then we use textHelp to read the dictation back to the student.
These tools help students to write, comprehend, and helps them to become more independent.
I hope that this helps. Please feel free to contact me if you want more information.
Marlene McIntosh
Cambrian College
The Glenn Crombie Centre for Disability Services
1400 Barrydowne Road
Sudbury, ON P3A3V8
(705) 566-8101 x. 7219
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http://homepages.cambrianc.on.ca/snrrc
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