Assistive Technology Devices for Students with Writing Difficulty

Nicole Marie Sartin
Ashford University
EDU620: Meeting Individual Student Needs with Technology (MRC1340B)
Instructor: Kimberly Hall
10/21/13


Overview
Over the past decade, new technologies have revolutionized education for children with disabilities focusing on two primary roles and approached to support special education: Assistive Technology (AT) and Universal Design (UD). Today, special education teachers have an enormous amount of choices in terms of educational tools to help stimulate thought, promote learning, develop skills, and enhance abilities for students with disabilities to ultimately ensure a quality education.

Children with a specific learning disability in written expression often have difficulty when it comes to expressing thoughts and ideas with pencil and paper as would be expected according to their age, intelligence and educational background. In some cases this type of disability may be referred to as dysgraphia. Also, written expression disorders may co-exist with other disabilities such as dyslexia. Typically, a disability in written expression or dysgraphia may be characterized by poor handwriting, spelling difficulties and difficulty putting thoughts into written words. Deficits may also stem from problems with fine motor processing skills and other information processing skills.

The purpose of this research paper is to analyze three assistive technology tools/devices that address writing assistance for young students with dysgraphia, dyslexia or any other writing disability. Although the existing benefits of technology for students with disabilities are already widely recognized, the potential benefits are likely to be even more profound for than present practices would suggest.

Assistive Technology Devices
Assistive technology for beginning writers may help students compensate for some processing deficits. Some types of assistive technology that may help include special paper with raised lines to guide the student as he writes across the page, larger pencils with special grips, and customized arm and hand splints to hold the arm and fingers in proper position when writing. Young students may also benefit from the use of motorized pens and other fun writing devices to motivate them to want to write. Beginning writers might also be introduced to word processors while continuing to work on conventional writing skills. There are thousands of items that can be classified as assistive technology and many ways to think about assistive technology. When choosing an assistive technology device, it is important to consider price, features and functionality relative to the child’s needs. For students having difficulty either with the motor aspects of writing or with composing written material, the following assistive technology devices may be helpful: Write:OutLoud 6, AlphaSmart 3000 Portable Computer Companion or the Co:Writer 4000. Each device has specific advantages, disadvantages and benefits.

Write:OutLoud 6
The Write:OutLoud assistive technology device is a word processor that supports the writing process by reading text out loud as students write. It provides sentence and paragraph feedback which connects written and spoken words so students can complete their thoughts independently and write to the main idea. Also, the immediate auditory and visual cues for misspelled words allow students for immediate self-correction. This program can also import and read scanned text from the Internet and CD-ROM files, and give students access to information they might not be able to read. This product is very affordable with a $99 price tag. This easy-to-use software program can be used for young students during the kindergarten and elementary years.

Advantages
Specially, Write:OutLoud is simple to use and reads words as they are written, providing real-time auditory feedback for students. The product has several special features and writing tools including: talking spell checker, homophone checker, and dictionary help students confirm their word choice in language that can they understand. There are several reason why this is a great product.

First, Write:OutLoud 6 features the latest Acapela voices – the highest quality, most natural sounding speech engine available. Write:OutLoud 6 will also play any other SAPI 5 voice you have on your system. Second, the Spell Checker feature consistently outshines the spell checkers in MS Word and other common word processors when used in K-12 schools. And text-to-speech reads the word choices, helping students choose the right word. The Oxford Student’s Dictionary feature displays and speaks the definition of almost any word. Unlike other common dictionaries intended for use by professionals, the Oxford Student’s Dictionary definitions are clear and concise for 3-12th grade students. The Homophone Checker quickly searches a document for homophones and offers definitions for all the alternatives. This helps students build homophone awareness and choose the intended word. The bibliographer helps students create their own bibliography using dozens of source types including electronic/webpage, articles, books, etc. Formats include both APA and MLA. Many districts across the country are using Write:OutLoud as a standard testing accommodation. In fact, the product allows teachers to quickly restrict access to specitic features, as state regulations require. Finally, Write:OutLoud 6 is so simple, you can train teachers in 30-minutes with the “Train-in-30 Tutorial .” Students you can save files anywhere on your network, WebDisk or on a USB drive for access anywhere. Easy sign-in gets users writing in seconds and Write:OutLoud functions identically on Mac and Windows, and is now optimized for Windows XP, Vista, 7, and Mac OS 10.4+.

Disadvantages
Of course, the Write:OutLoud 6 product is not without disadvantages, users often mention that the product was inconsistent when providing the audio cue to alert the students to spelling errors as they were made. In addition, the spell check feature would not automatically read while JAWS feature was loaded. Compared to other products on the market, the Write:OutLoud is quite competitive simply due to its low cost, especially for educators. However, if cost is not an issue, this product may not be the best choice.

AlphaSmart 3000 Portable Computer Companion
The AlphaSmart 3000 assistive technology device is a portable computer allows students to enter and edit text while they take notes and engage in written language activities at their own desks. This product retails for $199, which is considerably cheaper than a lap top computer and can be connected to a computer or printer as needed. Students with learning disabilities and handwriting problems can use this technology from kindergarten to high school years. Since the product is portable, it can be used at home and in classrooms. More importantly, with the “No Child Left behind Act” requiring students in every state to pass state standards-based tests in elementary and middle school, the AlphaSmart has the ability to empower teachers in schools across the country to prepare their students for high-stakes tests using their AlphaSmart 3000 computers (2006). In fact, research conducted by the US Department of Education shows that the test preparation method used in the AlphaSmart device improves student test scores by 15% or more (2006). As a result, this product has been supported for a UD approach to learning.

Advantages
Delivered on CD-ROM for both Windows and Macintosh, AlphaSmart includes more than 6,000 practice test questions for grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 featuring the same types of questions and skills tested on all 50 state standards-based tests, including SAT-9, SAT-10, Terra Nova, CAT-6, ITBS and more. Teachers using AlphaSmart will simply select their state, grade level, the quantity of practice questions they wish to include, and the specific reading, language arts, or math skills they wish to test. AlphaSmart will then automatically create practice tests based on those selections. Teachers will then download their practice tests to one or more AlphaSmart 3000s. After students complete the practice tests on their AlphaSmart 3000s, the software will then gather and grade the tests, storing the results in a grade book with robust reporting features that allow teachers to track student results and progress by their particular state's standards.

The AlphaSmart 3000 is affordable, simple, easy to use, lightweight and expandable and highly recommended. The product is designed so that students don't get caught up in the complexities of a computer. Students spend their time learning rather than dealing with the operating system of a computer. In addition, its low cost makes it a cost-effective educational solution for parents, children and teachers. Educators can provide technology access to an entire classroom of thirty students for the price of three to four computers. Additionally, the AlphaSmart has extraordinary battery life, running over 700 hours on only three AA alkaline batteries. It can go wherever learning takes place: the classroom, field trip, library, and even home. Finally, the AlphaSmart 300 is expandable and far less expensive than a PC. Weighing less than 1 kg and virtually indestructible, it's an indispensable tool in and out of the classroom. You can put more AlphaSmart 3000s in the hands of more students, and free up your lab computers for higher-level work. Two Secure Digital and MultiMediaCard-compatible slots let you add memory; add devices, backup data or share data and software with another Dana or Palm Powered device. Students can easily synchronize data with a home, classroom or dorm room PC.

Disadvantages
Some students, especially those used to working on computers, find the AlphaSmart® less functional than they would like. The much smaller screen than that available on laptops can be challenging for some, and there may be a learning curve in getting used to using a word processing machine rather than a computer. For kids with learning disabilities, these devices may prove frustrating, especially when typing skills are not much better than writing skills, and when a student needs to heavily edit work before submitting it.

Co:Writer 4000
The Co:Writer 4000 is a talking word prediction software program which enables students to express their thoughts in writing with less frustration. Choose this product as a classroom tool for any student struggling with writing such as at-risk-students, poor spellers, students with dyslexia or ESL students in elementary school. But educators will agree that this program can be a writing assistant tool for just about any student in support of a Universal Design classroom-wide learning approach.

This writing intervention program gives students the tools they need to construct quality, content-rich sentences. Students can use FlexSpell to write the words they want, even if they can only spell them phonetically. Developing writers get immediate grammar support to improve the quality of their work. The Co:Writer 4000 costs $325. While the retail price of this product may seem high, the Co:Writer 4000 has three primary features which set it apart from other products on the market: FlexSpell, Grammar support and topic dictionaries for curriculum-specific vocabulary. FlexSpell™ translates phonetic spelling for students. Struggling writers who use phonetic spelling have a special support with FlexSpell. As a student types a word, Co:Writer 4000 not only predicts words consistent with the actual letters, but also words consistent with the sounds of the letters. Correct spellings are predicted and reinforced as students see, hear and use them.

In addition, the special Grammar support feature fosters better sentences. The Co:Writer 4000 technology helps students make appropriate word choices and write higher-quality sentences. It helps with correct subject-verb agreement, proper spellings, capitalization, appropriate pronoun and article use, customary word usage, correct word forms and word endings, popular phrases and proper noun usage like names and places. By taking advantage of Co:Writer 4000's options, students can maximize their writing experiences with as few keystrokes as possible. Even better, the Co:Writer 4000’s topic dictionaries assists students with curriculum-specific vocabulary. For each student or each assignment, a dictionary or group of dictionaries is designated as the source for the predicted words. A beginning writer may use a basic vocabulary dictionary so that only words they will likely know are predicted. A more advanced student writing a report would include a Topic Dictionary for a particular assignment. Dozens of Topic Dictionaries are included with Co:Writer 4000 and teachers can create new topic dictionaries in less than 3 minutes from any electronic document.

Advantages
The Co:Writer 4000 provides a level of writing support that is unique in such products. It can provide in-line prediction of the current word. It provides speech feedback, and grammar sensitive prediction. It allows for (and corrects) "creative spelling." Overall, the Co:Writer 4000 includes the following supportive features:
• Voice feedback speaks predicted words and completed sentences
• Allows adjustments to the number of words predicted
• Allows changes to background and text colors
• Capitalizes first word in sentences
• Places spaces after words in sentences
• Saves individual student's preferences for later use
• Teacher's guide Included
• New literacy support materials included
• Tutorials included
• Compatible Operating systems: Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows

Disadvantages
The Co:Writer 4000 is a very intrusive program with a high cost. To get many of the benefits, one must type into Co:Writer, then wait while Co:Writer types into the word processor. There is a constant drag on computer responsiveness that interferes with the writing process. Specifically the concern surrounding the Co:Writer is that it has become the standard intervention in school system practice. Providing the same solution to everyone is not significantly better than providing no solution to anyone, however, the concept of “one-size-fits-all” may not necessarily be effective for special education students. Assistive technology interventions must be matched to the needs of the individual student. Where Co:Writer is a good fit, it should certainly be provided. But I would recommend buyers to view it as an add-on product. In other words, the Co:Writer should not be the only entree on the menu.

Conclusion
Assistive technology (AT) has the potential to enhance the quality of life for students with learning disabilities (LD) by providing them with a means to compensate for their difficulties, and highlight their abilities. Because students with learning problems have individual strengths, limitations, interests, and experiences, a technology tool that is be helpful in one situation or setting may be of little use under different circumstances.As a result, selecting the appropriate technology for a student with LD requires a careful analysis of the product specifications as well as dynamic interaction between the individual, technology, task, and context. This analysis of the Write:OutLoud 6, AlphaSmart 3000 Portable Computer Companion and the Co:Writer 4000 provided a exemplifies the detailed approach needed when choosing the appropriate AT device.

For school-wide use, administrators may want to perform a much more detailed analysis prior to choosing one technology. More importantly, the evaluation to determine classroom or school-wide use may include a formal cost analysis and testing of multiple products in order to determine the most effective technology or device.

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), it is the school district's responsibility to research, select and acquire the assistive technology including training teachers for students with disabilities at no cost to parents. But selecting an appropriate AT tool for a student requires parents, educators, and other professionals to take a comprehensive view, carefully analyzing the interaction between the student, the technology, the tasks to be performed, and the settings where it will be used. This should not a quick and easy evaluation.

The assessment for choosing AT is an on-going process, and it is critical to periodically re-evaluate the match even after a technology tool has been selected. This will help ensure that the student receives the maximum benefit from assistive technology and is able to reach his/her full potential.

References
Edyburn, D. L. (2013). Inclusive technologies: Tools for helping diverse learners achieve academic success. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Gromisch, E. S. & Reinhart Neas, L. M. (Ed). (2012). Special education: A guide to technology options. Bright Hub Education. Retrieved from http://www.brighthubeducation.com/special-ed-inclusion-strategies/125659-a-teachers-guide-to-assistive-technologies-in-the-classroom/?cid=parsely_rec

Marino, M. T., Marino, E. C., & Shaw, S. F. (2006). Making informed assistive technology decisions for students with high incidence disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 38(6), 18-25. Retrieved from http://public.wsu.edu/~matthewmarino/documents/at.pdf

Raskind, M. H., & Higgins, E. L. (1995). "Effects of speech synthesis on the proofreading efficiency of postsecondary students with learning disabilities." Learning Disability Quarterly, Vol. 18.