Encouraging your child to achieve using assistive technology

One of the most important ways you can help your child is to encourage them to use the assistive technology that is available to them. In this short article there will be some resources you can use that may help that goal.

First of all – relax. I know it sounds trite but kids soon pick up the anxiety of their parents and it stresses them, which I know is the last thing you want. So be a good actor and convince them you know, you listen and you empathise. Kids want to fit it and anything that makes them different means they will stand out from the crowd, which may be the last thing they want to happen.

What Assistive Technology is out there to help?

For many children with dyslexia the main barrier is the words on the page. If they struggle to read them it makes life difficult in our text-rich schools. It’s everywhere from the text on the walls to the books in the school library. How can we make this less threatening?

Try different fonts – here are some suggestions and links:-

Download Lexend from Google Fonts https://fonts.google.com/download/next-steps

Download Open Dyslexic from https://opendyslexic.org/download

Claro Scan Pen –£9.99 on iTunes App Store –https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/claro-scanpen/id994933713 – I know mobile phones are not encouraged to be used in school but maybe an alternative such as iPad may be allowed. This tool can enable any printed or screen to be read back to them.

Scanning Pens £274 on Amazon gives an in-your-pocket solution that your carry around with you. Discreet and with a set of ear plugs totally personal.

Immersive Reader in Microsoft 365 this can really help a child to decode the text in a classroom setting. You can also put it on the Home toolbar to make more accessible as this video explains.

Lastly, for some children with Dysexia getting it down on paper is the issue. Having great ideas but just can’t get it spelt correctly and my handwriting is so messy. So the following may help

Google Voice Typing in Google Docs on the Tools menu can help – Free with a Google Account

Dictate on the Home Tab in Microsoft Word, and in Powerpoint and OneNote – part of Microsoft 365

Read Aloud – The Edge Browser

Grammarly – free add-in for Microsoft Office https://www.grammarly.com/microsoft-office

Finally, from the talk here are links to the apps mentioned

Clicker Writer – £free https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/clicker-writer/id1487619204

Post-iT £free https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/post-it/id920127738

Glean – subsciption – https://glean.co/

Cantoo Scribe – £free in the Microsoft Store – https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9mv9zfv2rn3k?hl=en-us&gl=GB

iOS app £free with in-app purchases – https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/cantoo-scribe/id1583463899

TextAid – Subscription – https://www.readspeaker.com/solutions/text-to-speech-online/readspeaker-textaid/signup/

TextHelp ReadWrite – subscription & free – https://www.texthelp.com/en-gb/products/read-and-write-education/

Goodnotes 6 -£free – in-app purchases – £9.99 a year £29.99 one-off purchase – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/goodnotes-6/id1444383602

Testimonies

“1’d like to give a shout out to Myles Pilling, BA,M.Ed. and encourage anyone who needs training and support around assistive tech to reach out to him directly. was lucky enough to have several hours of training with Myles thanks to my Access to Work grant. Myles’ training though? Well, it was closer to coaching than training. He didn’t assume. He asked me to show him what I did so he could offer refinements and tweaks.

But the most important thing Myles did was question why I was doing what I was doing; what was the benefit, why was it needed, and if it was what was the most effective way of doing it? No more ‘stick a tech plaster on a Luddite broken leg’ – instead Myles helped me work most effectively with my tech, by helping me figure out when and how I needed it. The absolute best bit? Thanks to working with Myles, I never ever need to do filing again.

Seriously. Never.

Myles helped me set up a system that I would likely never have discovered without him, that allows my work to be recorded and autosaved without a single follow up step.” Leah , Consultant , Search for Serenity

“Accessibility Smyles continues to serve up timely information about the latest and best technology for individuals with unique needs. Always pleased to receive these helpful resources with related links. I share them with parents, educators and others who serve the many with reading and learning challenges. (Thank you, Myles!)” – Jean

“I’ve known Myles for many years, he’s my go-to expert for all this Accessibility, so much so that he’s our resident expert at Anderton Tiger Radio. Whenever we feature this topic he’s always there with excellent advice and guidance, in fact you can listen to him again here from our January radio show https://www.buzzsprout.com/695014/2586430-myles-pilling-talks-about-technologies-for-send-that-have-caught-his-eye-at-bett-2020 Highly recommended, Myles is most definitely one of the top 5 experts in his field in the UK” – Russell Prue, Anderson Tiger

“After one of your recent training sessions, I visited your Techsavvy session and discovered the virtual tour guides. A a result my husband and I enjoyed a splendid trip to Edinburgh. A city I have avoided for a number of years due to its challenges for a wheelchair user due to its very steep streets and cobbles. I think the sessions you have posted are really good and I hoped you would be happy if I suggested these to clients, I am assisting in my volunteering journey. I am also liaising with a local charity who are trying to encourage their older members and I think they too could benefit from your regular hints and tips so would like to suggest they pass on the Techsavvy links. You really are an inspiration.” –

Heather Sneddon

South West Scotland Coordinator , AbilityNet