Assistive Word Processing

Assistive word processing resources from Don Johnston Assistive Technology cover a range of ability and disability as well as a variety of needs. Starting with a picture based writing platform to software that will read and offer correct spelling and usage, the technology and devices come in different formats and can be used on a variety of platforms, from IPads to Fusions.

Pixwriter

PixWriter is a writing program from Don Johnston Assistive Technology which uses pictures, a recorded playback and a picture/word board that your students can use to create writing. As a teacher, you type in the words you want your students to use in their stories. That could be sight words you are working on from the Dolch lists, or words you are using in reading instruction. Once the keyboard is created, the student can choose the words they need by clicking on the picture squares or touching the screen, if you have a touch screen.

This is a great program for emerging writers. It is also a great tool for students with Autism who may have good receptive language but are not generating independent language. Once the students have written, they can click on the sentence and the program will play it back to them. You can also create and print your document, so your students can read from the story they wrote themselves.

Write: Outloud

Write: Outloud is also a Don Johnston program. Before your students start writing with Write: Outloud, you can set up some criteria for your writer: you can choose type font, color and back ground color. You can choose whether the program will read each letter, or just the words. When the student has placed punctuation at the end of the sentence, the program will read the student's sentence. When a paragraph is completed, the student can choose the whole paragraph, and Write: Outloud will read it. This is a great program to support students who can remember most of the words they want, but benefit from the support.

Co-Writer

Co-Writer is a tool you use in combination with another word processing program: you can even use it with Write: Outloud, or popular programs like Microsoft Word. Co-writer, when run with your other program, provides a little pop up. You can flip it over and set your preferences: it will read your words, or not. It will correct grammar, or you can turn that off. It helps you or your student choose the support they will need in order to write successfully.

Not only will this program support students who are challenged to write, it can provide your better writers with editing support. Have students open documents they have worked on on the computer with Co-writer, and begin choosing the words: it will find spelling and usage errors, and by reading it aloud, help your students edit their work.

Word Processing Platforms

Computers: Your school may offer a variety of computers. A good old lap top is good enough, although you may find other offerings. The advantages and disadvantages:

1. A Desktop: Most schools have some in every classroom, in some schools they may have several machines in each classroom as well as a computer lab. The convenience of access to these computers is important for how much and how you use this platform.
2. Smart Board or Promethean Board: These classroom "touch screens" create an opportunity to model the writing process with your students. This is a great way to introduce group writing to an emerging writing group, especially if you intend to move them on to working independently. You can also use the classroom format to write as a class, together, since both Write: Outloud and Co-Writer (with Word) will permit you to insert images.
3. Laptops: Some schools are giving a laptop to each student to use, or have cartloads. The keyboards are small, and the machines can fall on the floor too easily for me to believe this is a good solution for students with disabilities.
4. AlphaSmart The AlphaSmart is an outdated word processor from the AlphaSmart Company that you may have in your school. It can be purchased used from Amazon for about $30, so if you have a PTA looking for an inexpensive technology fix to support you in a small classroom, this could be it. You can use Cowriter on the AlphaSmart, and you can download student's documents to a computer with a USB cable. This is a good way to support writing for students with poor fine motor skills, or who are frustrated by writing with a pen or pencil.
5. The Neo The Neo has replaced the AlphaSmart as the low end word processor for students. At $149 a machine, it is much cheaper than a laptop, and for word processing, has all the functions your students will need . The Alphasmart Company has also introduced the Dana, which has the same features as the Neo, but is much smaller, possibly so students can carry them in their backpacks at the secondary level.
6. The Fusion Writer from Writer Learning Another inexpensive and versatile tool for struggling writers: it can provide the text to voice support for emerging readers, as well as a simple way to load files.