Technology for Dyslexia

The article that caught my attention this week was “Technology opens new world for brothers with dyslexia.” I just continue to be amazed at all the ways technology can help students be successful in the classroom.

In this article, it talks about a mom who has two boys with dyslexia. Her one son, age 6 at the time, was concerned that he may never learn how to read. Eight years later and he is on the honor roll at school and loves to read with the help of technology.

Some of the programs that have greatly helped both boys are the use of audiobooks and word-reading apps, Bookshare, and extra large spacing between letters. There are also dyslexic-designed fonts such as OpenDyskexic or Dyskexie. Another technological advance is the Lovescribe Echo Pen which records audio while you write. You can just tap on the paper to play back what was recorded.          

 The article goes on to talk about how technology shouldn’t replace direct, systematic instruction but should serve as a supplement. Technology should be a support to accesss information or to help with the anxiety that occurs with difficulties with retrieval. One quote that really stuck out to me was “For a person without a disability, technology makes things easier, but for a person with a disability, technology makes things possible.”

Technology is something that I feel like I take for granite sometimes but for someone with a disability, it can change their whole course of education and help them to be successful and have a voice in the classroom. In my classroom, there are only a few students that have assistive technology but it can make all the difference!

Source:

http://www.news8000.com/health/technology-opens-new-world-for-brothers-with-dyslexia/589321698