Free software special needs students

There are multiple popular speech technology tools are currently available on the market. The software takes what they are saying and types it down for the student. They can edit it for more accuracy and clarity and the process is faster as well as gives the student confidence and the ability to get their ideas down in a productive manner.

There are speech to text tools and extensions on your computer and devices that will also give you the ability to speak and it will type in your words. If you are wanting to read back your words enable TTS or Text to Speech, Installing the appropriate extension will enable you to highlight the text you want to read and choose to speak on your extension like chrome browsers or google chrome.

This list includes Google docs voice to text, Window, and Apple dictation and many more. Technologies that were mostly created and designed by private industry and the U. Government benefit students and adults with Dyslexia and other learning difficulties. While technology improves, the learning environment for these students and adults will also improve and lead them to success. Photo by Alphacolor on Unsplash.

She is often a presenter on Assistive Technology at professional conferences in schools and colleges and has written extensively on her personal struggle with Dyslexia and ADHD.

More info about Zahavit Paz. Skip to content. Please share. Choosing the Right Assistive Technology for Students Why Participating in a Sport Can Help How to Make Websites More Accessible and Successful Job Interview Tips for Individuals with Learning Disability Testing and Assessment Text to Speech Technology and Top Reading SentenceBuilder is a conversation simulator designed to help elementary-aged children learn how to have conversations with their peers in a variety of social settings, which can be a particular challenge for special needs students.

ConversationBuilderTeen , for older students, is geared to help kids learn when it is appropriate to introduce themselves, ask questions, and change the subject of the conversation. This app also covers sarcasm and addresses how kids should respond to bullying. Word Wizard has a talking alphabet that allows kids to experiment with phonemic awareness and word building.

The verbal feedback helps teach children in a nonthreatening way, as the voice reads any words the child creates—allowing for self-correction. The app also supports letter recognition, phonological awareness, and spelling, and comes with built-in word lists such as the 1, most frequently used sight words.

The Anti-Coloring Book App series is my personal favorite resource of all time and is now available in app form. This suite of online books uses the space at the bottom of the page for a question and the child draws the answer. Aside from apps, digital modifications are critical for online home learning for special needs students. Text to speech TTS is a type of assistive technology that reads digital text aloud and works with almost all digital devices—phone, iPad, computer.

Many types of text files and most web pages can be converted into audio with TTS software. Speech recognition dictation is another necessary tool, found on most digital devices, that enables students to express themselves by simply talking without having to worry about typing, spelling, and grammar.

Dictation software is available on most devices in the settings menu, and it helps students expand their writing skills and achieve new levels of success. Note: Apple has a more advanced speech recognition system than Windows. During the coronavirus pandemic, out-of-school learning is a great challenge, but it is particularly so for special needs students, who already face hurdles in their schooling.

The beauty of Memory Challenge! It can even help with attention issues and brain longevity. The program includes guides for both teachers and students and introduces new topics via engaging activities accompanied by frequent assessments for easy progress tracking.

Difficulty with basic reading skills can have significantly adverse effects on students both in their education and in their everyday lives. Here are four products that enable students to work on their basic reading skills. With programs for pre-school through high-school students, Fast ForWord Reading helps kids work on everything from phonics to advanced vocabulary.

Students who complete the exercises can make significant progress in as little as eight weeks and build motivation for later successes. Sidenote: Fast ForWord has other products as well to help with language and literacy. It was one of these programs that helped David Bueche learn to speak. Learning Fundamentals literacy apps Learning Fundamentals has a great array of very affordable apps that hone in on specific skills that need developing.

Reading A-Z With a wealth of resources centered around Common Core standards, Reading A-Z provides lessons, leveled readers, flashcards, and vocabulary tools that teachers can use to lead students through fun lessons towards higher levels of reading comprehension. Reading Horizons Reading Horizons has features that align with Common Core standards, achieve a blended learning environment, and reach out to students with learning disabilities.

The core of the program is teaching students phonics, alphabet sounds, and decoding skills, all of which provide the basis for later, more advanced reading. Children who struggle with writing assignments may have dysgraphia , which makes tasks like constructing essays frustrating. The following software systems can help:.

The software also helps students develop skills like time management and flow-charting complex tasks. The word-prediction feature helps students type more quickly and accurately, and it has a built-in thesaurus.

Grammar Fitness by Merit Software With three levels of online software from Basic to Advanced as well as desktop versions, Grammar Fitness has a program for students along every step of the way. The interactive exercises, answer explanations, and student-tracking create an engaging, encouraging environment for students to master even the most difficult grammar concepts. Dragon by Nuance Like wordQ, Dragon can read student-generated text back to them. A unique feature of Dragon, however, is its capability to transcribe text dictated by the student, eliminating the need for typing.

Students can also use the voice-activated features to conduct online research and compose emails. Even though I covered 20 software systems, I know there are many more out there. During the school year, Helen puts her love of physics and people to good use teaching high-school math and science. During the summer, she blogs for Capterra , a privately held technology and online media company that brings together buyers and sellers of software.

In her free time, you're most likely to find Helen reading or spending time with her family and friends. Helping businesses choose better software since