Assistive Technology
A variety of assistive technology programs and devices is described below. Inclusion on this page does not in any way imply support, recommendation, or endorsement by NJIDA.  Listings and descriptions are provided for your information only and it is up to you to research programs and devices to determine if they can benefit you or your dyslexic child or client.

E-Book Readers
These allow users to download electronic versions of books from the internet. Some of these include text reader technology. Most offer text resizing, choice of fonts, highlighting, notetaking, and other tools that make the books more accessible to struggling readers. Some examples include, Amazon's Kindle, Barnes and Noble's Nook and the Sony Reader. Make sure to read about the products to see which features each one offers.

Text Reader Software
There are a variety of text reader, text to speech software programs which read online and scanned  text.  Some also provide built-in study tools such as highlighting  capability, outlining, and and graphic organizers. A well-known example is the Kurzweil text reader.

Programs Online
Writing software which offers templates for a variety of graphic organizers to create webs, concept maps, and outlines. Newer versions include the ability to add notes and record voice notes. Writers can create multimedia presentations by recording sound and video. Hyperlinks to internet sites, files and documents can be included. Some programs provide a checklist of topics covered , along with definitions and synonyms through dictionary links or built-in applications. Some include limited text reader capability and the ability to save work in a Word document.  The best known program is Inspiration.

Free Text to Speech Software
One example is Clip-Talk, which can be downloaded from www.fullmeasure.co.uk. Just download the program and then launch it from your Start menu. Any copied or highlighted text will be read when the program is open. The voice is a bit electronic and pronunciation is not perfect.

Audio Books
A version of books on tape, usually allowing books to be downloaded to MP3 players. There are a number of companies which provide books at a range of prices. Some of these include the following:  www.audible.com which requires a monthly or yearly membership along with the download cost of $8.00 to $15.00 on average. Credits toward downloads accrue monthly . This company has a large selection of audiobooks and you will likely find most of the selections required by schools here.  www.earworm.com has a smaller collection but does not require a membership fee and offers both free and low cost downloads from $1.00 to approximately $25.00 depending on the book.  www.amazon.com also has an audiobook category. Audio books are also available from  Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, www.rfbd.org,, which offers both CD versions and an expanding library of titles available in digital format to download directly to a computer.

Books on Tape
These are audio books, usually available in CD format. Many of these are available from local and county libraries.

Reading Pens
There are a range of these available, but they all offer text readers. The most advanced also offer a dictionary, thesaurus, and syllabication, along with touch screen, choice of fonts, pc connections to allow file uploads, and manual input of text. You can locate companies by typing “reading pens” into your browser.

Portable Spellcheckers
The most common of these is the Franklin Speller. There are versions with speech, dictionaries, etc. The user types in a word and the checker provides correct spelling, definitions, etc. Find out more at  www.franklin.com.  www.Ghotit.com claims to offer an updated version geared toward dyslexic users, offering context-based word suggestions for misspelled words. It can purportedly identify correctly spelled homonyms which do not make sense in the context.

PDAs and Smartphones
These devices often have record features which allow recording of lectures, or students may record their own oral notes. They can also set alarms to remind students of tasks, medication to be taken, appointments with support staff, etc. They allow web access to online dictionaries or web sites. Some provide text reader support as well.

Portable Wordprocessors
These are small, lightweight word processing units which allows users to type notes instead of writing them. Many of the newer versions offer text to speech capability, word prediction, and pc and Smartboard interfaces. Some can accept software for a variety of study skills and writing technology functions. Three of the most popular are AlphaSmart, QuickPad, and Fusion.

Speech to Text Software
Software is now available which enables users to speak into a microphone and have the computer provide corresponding text. There is a wide range of products, and some are more sophisticated and accurate than others.

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