Imagine not being
able to fully participate in one of the most common forms of communication –
writing. “Students with physical disabilities, learning disabilities,
or learning and physical disabilities may struggle in written language
expression” (Gardner, 43). Not only are students who experience problems with writing
excluded from one very important communication source; as educators we ask
students of all abilities to produce written work on a daily basis. What we may
not be fully realizing is the amount of work that goes into the writing task,
even for what may appear to be just a simple sentence. Writing is an advanced,
energy consuming process that requires both mechanical and content skills.
Physically we are
asking students to use their hands to produce text – which may seem simple
enough. However, behind that task is the
brain power needed to put words on paper – this task involves layers and layers
of brain activity and developed skills, from short term memory and muscle control
all the way to retrieval of prior knowledge about spelling. All the while we
are asking that students remain focused on the task at hand and engaged in the writing
process, despite whatever kind of day they’re having.
Given that the writing process
is such a large task we need to consider how that task changes when students
have difficulty in one or more areas of the writing process. As Wollack and
Koppenhaver illustrate we need recognize that “many students with disabilities
have to attend to the use of their pencil more consciously and specifically
than typically-developing students who have mastered pencil use or touch-typing”
(3). Even problems with pencil grip can add to the level of effort
required to produce a small written task.
This is where assistive technology comes into play. Peterson-Karlan
points out that:
“There is a long history to the suggestion
that technology can be particularly advantageous for students with learning and
academic disabilities in remediating or compensating for these problems. Word
processors, word prediction, spell checkers, text-to-speech, and organization
tools have all been extensively discussed as helping or having potential to
help students with disabilities to engage in the many levels of cognition
required”
to produce effective
writing (43). Therefore it is vital for us, as educators, to be aware of the areas
that students need support during the writing process and match assistive
technologies appropriately as well as keep up with more recent technologies to
support these areas.
Gardener,
T. Speech Recognition for Students with
Disabilities in Writing. Physical
Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 2008, v26 n2 p43-53.
Peterson-Karlan, George R. Technology to Support
Writing by Students with Learning and Academic
Disabilities: Recent Research Trends and
Findings. Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits Focused
Issue: Assistive Technology and Writing. Summer 2011, Volume 7, p39-62.
Wollack, B. and Koppenhaver, D. Developing Technology-Supported,
Evidence-Based Writing Instruction for Adolescents with Significant Writing Disabilities. Assistive Technology Outcome and Benefits Focused Issue: Assistive Technology and Writing. summer 2011. Volum 7, p1-23.
Deciding between remediation vs. compensatory is an important decision point when considering using assistive technology with students. Remediation refers to technology that teaches the student skills through re-teaching using different approaches, where compensatory refers to providing tools to students to compensate for different functions.
At what point do you stop remediation and start the compensatory process?We learned from the Fine Motor Skills Webinar that once kids reach the age of 10 or 11, their fine motor skills are already developed and can’t be remediated, at which time compensatory assistive technology would be put in place.
There are many myths that surround allowing children to use assistive technology, such as fairness, the need for children to learn to print, cost and loss of instruction time. (Broun, 2009) As a society, we need to move away from this kind of thinking, and move towards being inclusive to all learners.
It is important for teachers to understand that “handwriting is not an essential component of literacy”. (Broun, 2009) We need to give our students the tools to express their thoughts independently, and often times that means providing compensatory assistive technology.
Reference
Broun, Leslie. “Take the Pencil out of the Process”. Pages 14-21. Teaching Exceptional Children Sept/Oct 2009.
Assistive Technology is the use of devices or aids that can
assist a person with completing a task that otherwise may be difficult. Not all
assistive technology is expensive or has bells and whistles. There are many low
cost, easy to find or make, options available to assist students with their
writing.
Various Seat Cushions such as Bumpy Disc, FitBall, FitBall Balance, FitBall Wedge.
- Supports students in all areas of the writing process.
- It supports students who are fidgety, under-aroused, or uncomfortabl in a regular school chair. Seat cushions also help improve posture, increase trunk strength, and reduce back strain, so this seat cushions would assist students who are in need of these benefits as well.
- Seat cushions, which are generally air filled cushions with one smooth side and one bumpy side, are placed on the students chair and provides the student with enough wiggle and sensory stimulation to improve their attention to the task.
- Seat cushions can be found in many stores and online. Pocket full of Therapy offers many different styles of seat cushions starting in price from $23.95.
- Seat cushions are a compensatory strategy.
Pencil Grips
- Supports students in the lower level mechanical part of the writing process.
- It supports students who need assistance with grip and control of writing utensils. For some students a Pencil Grip may allow them the independence to write on their own.
- Grips are placed on the writing utensil and provide support, cushion, an easier gripping surface, or finger positioning to assist the student with their control of the utensil.
- There are many different grips available on the market. Some are available for pens, pencils, markers, etc. There are grips to improve finger positioning, strength of grip, control and support, and for creating a larger area to hold. Grips are inexpensive and can be found in many stationary stores or online at ScholarsChoice and start at $1.79.
- Custom grips can also be made with modelling clay. Check out this website for details.
- Pencil Grips can be both compensatory and remedial depending on how the grip is being used.
Writing Bird Pens - Supports students in the lower level mechanical part of the writing process.
- These pens are great for students with limited hand control, dexterity, or a weak grasp. It can also benefit students who lack the arm strength to control a pen or a pencil. It was specifically designed for people with arthritis or neurological disorders.
- The writing bird pen fits in the palm of your hand and allows the user to move the pen with their whole hand, using their upper arm strength. It can be used in both the left and right hand. Slight preassure on the tail of the bird moves the pen without smearing writing already done.
- The writing bird pen is available online at this website for $19.95.
- This can be both a remedial and compensatory strategy.
Plastic Writing Guide -Supports students in the lower level mechanical part of the writing process.
- It supports students who have difficulty writing within lines, writing in a straight line, or who have low vision.
- The plastic writing guide is designed to lay on top of the paper that the student is to write on. The guide provides several (usually 13) different rectangular openings for students to write in. These openings are generally as large as 2 or more lines of regular ruled paper. Due to the plastic construction of the writing guide, the writing utensil will stop when it hits the plastic. Some of the writing guides do not provide anything to attach the guide to the paper, and therefore could slip off the page. Tape or another form of attachment should be used to avoid frustration of the writing guide moving out of position.
- Plastic writing guides can be purchased online at many different stores, here is one for $3.49.
-Plastic writing guides can be both compensatory and remedial depending on how the guide is being used.
Left Write Guide - Supports students in the lower and upper level mechanical part of the writing process.
- Supports students who are left handed who need support with letter formation, paper placement, arm positioning, and pen or pencil grip.
- Lef t Write Guide is a mat that students can use to remind them of different things they can do to not smudge their work, and proper positioning. The paper or book they are writing on or in can be placed on top and the student is still able to see the reminders. The mat is also laminated so students can write right on the mat with a washable marker and practice their letter formation. The guide is also available for right handed students.
- The Left Write Guide is available for $7.73 on the anything left handed website.
- This is a remedial strategy.
Pop Bottle Pictures - Supports students in the lower level content part of the writing process.
- Supports students who have difficulty generating ideas for writing, need sensory breaks, or have difficulty visualizing ideas.
- The pop bottle pictures is a tool where students can create their own bottle of ideas. Inside the pop bottle numerous pictures are laminated and placed inside. Once the pictures are inside water, glitter, sequence, and other materials can be added to the students liking. The pop bottle is then on the students desk and if they need ideas they can squeeze, shake, or turn the pop bottle to see the different pictures that will hopefully generate a writing idea. If the student needs a sensory break there is the pop bottle with the different glitter, water, etc. to provide a stimulus.
- The Pop Bottle Picture tool is easy to make and can either be made by the teacher or the individual students. The tool is inexpensive depending on the complexity that the student or teacher wants to add to it.
- This is a compensatory strategy.
Word Ring with Pictures and Spellings -Supports students in the lower and higher level content part of the writing process.
-Supports students who do not have an extensive volcabulary memory, benefit from seeing pictures to recal words, need assistance with spelling.
- Word Rings are numerous cards placed on a ring that students are able to flip through as they are writing. The cards are about words that are commonly used by the student or words the student would like to use. Each card has the word (properly spelled), a picture of the word, and a definition. Students who need this tool for the lower level content area would use the pictures to generate the words for their writing. Students who use this tool for the higher level content area would use the word ring to check spelling or definitions of the words.
- To create a Word Ring you need craft supplies commonly found in school classrooms such as construction paper, scissors, markers, etc. You may also wish to use the computer to find pictures for the cards and definitions. The rings that the cards go on can be found at staples for $5.99.
- This is a remedial strategy
Magnetic Sight Words and Sentence Builders - Supports students in the upper level content part of the writing process.
- Supports students who do not have the fine motor skills to mechanically write. Supports students who have difficulty retrieving vocabulary, who need support creating sentences and proper use of punctuation. This tool could also benefit non verbal students communicate.
- The magnetic sight words and sentence builder package includes over 200 words and punctuation tiles. The words can be used on anything magnetic including cookie sheets, some white boards, sides of desks, etc. Students are able to create sentences with or without punctuation and make changes without having to re-write or re-type entire sentences.
- Magnetic sight words and sentence builders could be make with paper and magnetic sheets or it can be purchased at places such as Amazon for $11.83.
- This can be both remedial and compensatory depending on how it is being used.
Video on Low Tech Assistive Technology for Handwriting
What is mid tech assistive technology?
According to the Accommodations and Modifications for Students with Disabilities Project, it is used by a person with a disability to increase, maintain, or improve his or her functional capabilities. It is easy to operate electronic devices that are moderately priced.
Franklin Language Master - Talking Dictionary
Area it supports: Lower level content skills
Students it supports: Students who have problems with phonics and grammar and who have a limited vocabulary. It also speaks, so it is useful for students who need help with letter/sound recognition and pronunciation.
How it works: This device is a speaking electronic dictionary and thesaurus with a phonetic checker. This device can speak each letter, word and definition. All you need to do is type the word in, and you can choose the feature you want to access.
It is small for ease of portability and very easy to use
Neo 2 Portable Keyboard
Area it supports: Upper level mechanical and low level content skills
Students it supports: Students who have fine motor skill challenges, problems with grammar and phonics, limited vocabulary and who need practice with speed and accuracy.
How it works: It is a simple word processor that connects directly to a computer and transfers text.
Compensatory
Features:
$169
Spellchecker, cut/copy/paste functions
Dictionary, thesaurus
Language based lessons, accuracy and speed builders
Iris Pen
Area it supports: Lower level mechanical and content skills
Students it supports: Students who have a low typing speed, problems with fine motor skills, grammar and generating ideas. Also, it could benefit students with visual impairments because of the read aloud function, and the font size can be changed when it is transferred to a computer.
How it works: It is a handheld device that you plug into the computer. You highlight/scan the text that you want to use, from any text source, and it scans it to the computer. When transferred, the text is editable and can be read aloud.
Compensatory
Features:
$129.99
Reads font sizes 6-22
Text-to-speech
Scans 100 characters per second
56 languages
Easy to use and is hand held, so easily portable
Sticky Keys
Area it supports: Lower level mechanical skills
Students it supports: Students with fine motor skill challenges
How it works: With any Microsoft program, you press the shift button 5 times to enable the Sticky Key function. When enabled, it allows students to press one key at a time for functions that would normally use two keys. (Capitalizing letters for example, or pressing CTRL + ALT + DELETE) With sticky keys, you can press one key after the other and have it perform the same function.
Compensatory
Features:
Free
Accessible from any computer
Timers
Area it supports: Upper level mechanical skills
Students it supports: Students who need supports with staying on task and building their speed of motor performances
How it works: There are many different kinds of timers you can buy, but the purpose is you set a time limit for tasks.
High Tech. Software can be described as the most cutting edge software that is out there. It is generally very expensive computer software that has the ability to store and retrieve information.
Below are some examples of high tech software that can assist students with writing difficulties.
Co-Writer
Supports lower level content skills and lower level mechanical skills
It is used as a word predictor and can be opened with any application on your computer to help you spell. Can be used with anything from Word to Facebook! Great for students who have difficulties with getting their ideas down on paper due to spelling, grammar or sentence structure issues.
It is compensatory for those students who have a learning disability but remedial for those who just have a hard time with spelling, grammar and sentence structure and need assistance.
$773.00 per computer when purchased for 1-4 computers (as part of the SOLO pack) or $290.00 for just Co-Writer, per computer.
Write: OutLoud
Supports high level content skills and lower level mechanical skills
Text to speech software that provides audio and visual support. It has tools to revise and edit and a built in spell checker that recognizes phonetic spelling. It also has a built in dictionary.
Great for reluctant writers who have a hard time matching what they are thinking, to what they are writing. Also great for those who may have visual impairments and can hear the letters as they type them.
Compensatory
$773.00 per computer when purchased for 1-4 computers (as part of the SOLO pack) or $84.00 for just Write:OutLoud, per computer.
Draft:Builder
Supports lower level content skills
Helps students generate and organize ideas. Provides written prompts as well as visual and auditory cues.
Great for students who have a hard time with organization and those who are unable to follow the writing process (drafting, organizing, note-taking).
It is compensatory, but could also be remedial for those who need support in learning how to become a good writer.
$773.00 per computer when purchased for 1-4 computers (as part of the SOLO pack) or $139.00 for just Draft:Builder, per computer.
Dragon Naturally Speaking
Supports high level content skills as well as upper level mechanical skills
Allows students to talk into the computer and have their words converted to speech.
Great for students with learning disabilities, ESL students, those that are physically challenged, or for those who just have a hard time getting their ideas onto paper.
It is compensatory in terms of writing but could be remedial for reading as it requires students to read out loud and practice.
I could not find an exact price. I believe its roughly between $70-$300.
SMART Ideas
Supports high level content skills
Creates multilevel and curriculum related concept maps that are very visual and allow you to link multimedia and attachments. Able to brainstorm, organize concepts and plan projects. Interactive with the Smart Board.
Great for students who need support with organization or help with study skills.
Compensatory
Could not find a price, it says that you need to contact resellers.
There are so many ways that we can support our students who struggle with the writing process. Following are ten apps that just begin to scratch the surface! Fluid 2
$0.99
Compensatory
Suppports all three areas of the writing process.
Helps students who have difficulty attending to the task at hand and need re-focusing – vital for the writing process.
Changes your iPad screen into interactive fluid - providing a calming affect.
Tap Typing
Free
Remedial
Good for support with upper level mechanical skills – speed and accuracy.
Supports students who require a keyboard for written output by allowing them to become more accurate and confident in their typing.
Helps students develop both speed and accuracy with typing.
Provides various levels.
Touch and Write
$2.99
Remedial
Provides support for lower
level mechanical – grip using stylus and letter formation skills.
Helps students
needing support learning letter and number formation and high frequency words. Helps with maintaining attention and engagement
as well.
Students
can practise letter formation using their finger or a stylus while being
engaged in a fun and personalised learning activity. Students receive awards as
they progress.
Toontastic
Free
Compensatory
Good for supporting upper
level content skills – writing with a purpose as this program focuses on stages
of a story.
Helps students
needing support generating ideas and keeping their ideas organized. Helps with maintaining
attention and engagement as well. Good for students who may need to record
their idea rather than write. We think this would be great for upper elementary
and junior high students.
Students
follow the stages of a story (setting, character, problem, etc.) and create a
cartoon. They can choose from a bank of characters/setting, etc. or create
their own.
Students can personalize, write or record ideas, share on iTunes for others to see and choose from various themes.
Evernote
Free
Compensatory
Helps with low
level mechanical skills.
Supports
students with low level mechanical skills – unable to write. Evernote is great
for junior high and high school students needing compensatory measures.
Evernote
allows students to capture images of various notes (board, copies, etc.) and organizes
them in one location. Students can also take notes by typing. It also allows
for voice recording for work rather than writing. In the end, all
notes/recordings/images are searchable by the student.
Can share work via email, facebook and twitter and sync notes from any device you use.
Tools4Students
$0.99
Compensatory
Supports upper level content – organizing ideas and using various
forms of writing/organizing and lower level mechanical - typing.
Support for students needing assistance with organization
and the physical task of writing.
Allows
students to create a variety of organizational tools without using a pencil! Up
to 25 graphic organizers available. Can
create diagrams, brainstorms, maps, presentations and projects just to name a
few.
Allows student to email to self or teacher and return to same organizer more than once.
Amazing Memory Match (Lite)
Free
Remedial
Supports lower
mechanical and lower content skills – memory and concentration.
Supports
students who need to develop their working memory in an engaging way.
In
a game format students develop their working memory by completing various
levels of a matching game.
Multiple levels and scenes, easy to use.
Dictionary.com
$4.99 (for no ads)
Compensatory
Supports skills in lower
level content – word retrieval.
Supports
students with limited vocabulary skills, knowledge of language and word retrieval
skills.
Dictionary.com
will look up words using voice or by typing. It will also read the definition out
loud if desired and use the word in a sentence for further understanding. It also includes a thesaurus.
Even allows you to save a personalized word list.
Dexteria
$4.99
Remedial
Lower
level mechanical – develops readiness for writing.
Supports
students in their development of pencil grip, fine motor (pinch, grab, finger
isolation and sequencing, etc.)
Dexteria
is created along with Occupational Therapists and allows kids to develop their fine
motor skills in a game like setting by tapping, pinching and grabbing various items.
Can create reports for parents/teachers on progress.
Abilipad
$19.99
Compensatory
Supports both lower and upper level mechanical skill sets – typing as well as automaticity (word
knowledge) depending on usage.
Supports
students who need a keyboard to communicate.
Abilipad
allows for word prediction, customizable keyboard, text to speech and many
other features to support communication without handwriting.
