Assistive Technologies

Assistive technologies offer various tools and software that help people with dyslexia improve reading, writing, and comprehension. These technologies are designed to make it easier for individuals to understand and interact with written information.

Text-to-speech software

One of the most commonly used tools is text-to-speech software, which reads aloud digital text from websites, documents, or e-books. This allows dyslexics to follow along visually while hearing the words, helping them with word recognition and comprehension. Some examples are:

Natural Reader: This user-friendly software offers high-quality voices and can read a variety of document formats, including PDFs and Word files.

Kurzweil 3000: This comprehensive learning tool provides a text-to-speech tool along with study aids and supports diverse learning needs, particularly for students with dyslexia.

Read Aloud: A popular browser extension for Chrome and Firefox that reads web pages aloud, making it easier to consume online content.

Google Text-to-Speech: This application is available on Android devices, allowing users to listen to text from apps and websites

Voice Dream Reader: This is a highly-rated app for iOS and Android that supports multiple file formats, offers high-quality voices, and includes features for note-taking and annotation.

Speech-to-text software

For writing support, speech-to-text applications allow users to dictate their work, turning spoken words into written text. This helps dyslexic individuals avoid the difficulties of spelling and writing. Some examples are:

Dragon Naturally Speaking: This is one of the most popular and accurate speech recognition software programs. It allows users to dictate text and control their computer with voice commands and is widely used for writing and transcription.

Google Docs Voice Typing: This is a free tool built into Google Docs that allows users to dictate text directly into their documents using the voice typing feature. It's simple to use and accessible on any device with Google Docs.

Apple Dictation: This software is available on iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers and lets users convert their speech into text across various apps, including messages, emails, and notes.

Microsoft Dictate: This tool is integrated with Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook) and allows users to dictate documents and emails directly into their Office applications using speech recognition.

Otter.ai: This app offers real-time transcription and recording of meetings, interviews, and lectures. It also integrates with Zoom for live meeting transcription.

Windows Speech Recognition: This is Windows' tool built into its operating systems and allows users to dictate text and navigate their computer using voice commands.

Braina: This is AI-based software that can transcribe spoken words into text and assist with various tasks on the computer, making it a versatile tool for dictation and automation.

Grammar and Spell Checking Apps

These apps with dyslexia-specific settings offer enhanced support for correcting spelling errors, particularly for words that don't follow phonetic patterns. Examples are:

Grammarly: This popular grammar and spell-checking tool offers real-time suggestions for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style. It works across various platforms, including web browsers, Microsoft Word, and email.
Ginger: Ginger provides grammar, spelling, and punctuation corrections, along with additional features like sentence rephrasing and translation. It’s available as a browser extension, desktop app, and mobile app.
ProWritingAid: This tool focuses on improving writing quality with detailed grammar and style suggestions. It highlights areas for improvement, such as sentence structure, readability, and overused words.
Hemingway Editor: While not a traditional spell checker, Hemingway focuses on improving readability by suggesting simpler sentences and highlighting complex or lengthy phrases. It helps with clarity and sentence flow.
Microsoft Editor: Built into Microsoft Word and Outlook, this tool provides spelling and grammar checks, along with advanced writing suggestions for clarity and conciseness. It’s also available as a browser extension for Chrome and Edge.
LanguageTool: This is an open-source grammar checker that supports multiple languages and offers suggestions for grammar, spelling, and style across web browsers and writing platforms.
Slick Write: A free online tool that checks grammar, spelling, and sentence structure, providing detailed feedback on writing, including suggestions for improving style and flow.

Color Overlays/Screen Tinting/Backgrounds

These are valuable tools for dyslexics who are sensitive to white backgrounds and respond well to color backgrounds when reading. All these tools help to reduce visual stress and make reading more comfortable for dyslexic individuals. They can significantly improved educational and professional experiences for people with dyslexia, providing tailored support to overcome reading and writing challenges. Some examples are:

Color Overlays: these are clear colored acetate overlays that can be purchased online or in office supply stores. They can help reduce glare, improve contrast, and enhance focus, making it easier for readers to track words and lines of text. They are particularly helpful for individuals who experience visual discomfort when reading black text on a white background. Some examples are:

IRLEN® Overlays: IRLEN® offers colored plastic overlays that can be placed over printed text to reduce visual stress and improve reading comfort. They come in various colors to suit individual needs.
Colored Overlays for Dyslexia by Crossbow Education: These overlays are designed specifically for dyslexic readers. They come in different colors and are available in various sizes, providing visual relief and help with text clarity.
OptiMA Colored Overlays: These transparent colored overlays can be used on books, papers, or computer screens to assist with reading by reducing glare and improving focus on text.
SEN Colour Overlays: These are simple, affordable color overlays for students who experience visual stress or struggle with reading. They come in packs with a variety of colors to help readers find the most suitable tint.
ReadEZ Overlays: ReadEZ offers a range of colored reading overlays and testing kits to help dyslexic and visually stressed readers find the right color that makes reading easier and more comfortable.
ClaroRead Colored Overlays: ClaroRead provides digital screen tinting software, but it also offers physical colored overlays that can be placed over printed text to enhance reading for dyslexic individuals or those with visual stress.
Winslow Color Overlays: Winslow offers a variety of durable color overlays designed to improve reading efficiency and reduce visual discomfort for people with dyslexia or similar reading difficulties.

Screen Tinting Software

These tools help by reducing visual stress, improving focus on text, and making reading more comfortable for those with specific visual processing difficulties.

Iris: Iris offers blue light reduction, screen brightness adjustment, and customizable color filters, allowing users to apply screen tinting to make reading more comfortable.
F.lux: This software adjusts the color temperature of your screen based on the time of day, reducing harsh blue light at night. It also offers some color filters to help reduce eye strain during reading.
CareUEyes: CareUEyes is a screen dimming and tinting software that allows users to change the color of the screen to reduce eye strain. It also has a mode to add color filters, making it easier to focus on text.
Overlay: This app adds a colored filter over the screen to help reduce visual stress and improve reading. It allows users to select from a range of colors for their screen overlay.
ClaroView: Part of the ClaroRead suite, ClaroView provides a colored overlay that users can adjust in both tint and opacity to suit their needs, making reading on-screen text easier for those with dyslexia or visual stress.
ScreenShader: A Chrome extension designed to tint the screen with warm, eye-friendly colors, it helps reduce visual discomfort during long reading sessions, particularly at night.
Tint Vision: This free tool allows users to apply a customizable colored filter over the screen to reduce visual discomfort and help dyslexic individuals read more easily.

Color Backgrounds for Text

These tools allow the user to change the background color of a page while reading or writing. They are often built into commonly used applications as indicated below. Examples are:

Microsoft Word: In Word, you can change the background color of the page by going to "Design" and selecting "Page Color."
Google Docs: You can change the background color of a document in Google Docs by selecting "File," then "Page setup," and choosing a new color under "Page color."
Adobe Acrobat Reader: In Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can change the background color of PDF documents by going to "Preferences" and selecting "Accessibility." From there, you can customize the document background and text colors to suit your needs.
Read&Write: This literacy tool provides features for changing the background color of web pages and documents, along with other reading and writing aids like text-to-speech. It allows users to customize the reading experience to reduce visual stress.
ClaroRead: This software provides the ability to change the background color of text in different applications, helping dyslexic individuals read more easily. ClaroRead also includes screen tinting and text-to-speech functions.
Natural Reader: In addition to text-to-speech features, Natural Reader allows users to change the background color of the reading panel to suit their preferences, making it easier to follow along.
OpenDyslexic Browser Extension: This browser extension changes the background color of web pages, along with converting text to the dyslexia-friendly OpenDyslexic font. It’s available for Chrome and Firefox and helps improve readability on the web.

Handwriting Tool for Children

Startwrite 6: This is one of our favorite applications! It's designed to help teachers, parents, and homeschoolers create custom handwriting worksheets for children. It generates practice sheets tailored to the specific handwriting style being taught, such as manuscript (print) or cursive writing. The software includes customizable features like traceable letters, dashed lines, directional arrows, and fun fonts to engage students.

StartWrite 6 is especially useful for early learners and students who need additional handwriting practice, including those with learning difficulties like dyslexia. It simplifies the process of creating personalized worksheets, making it easier to support children in improving their writing skills.

It's affordable and easy to use, and we like to suggest it to parents to give them an easy, quick way to make practice sheets for our teaching strategies. Startwrite 6 includes lots of features designed to help children practice strokes and shapes which are the building blocks of handwriting. Plus, it's bilingual!

You can also use it in combination with StartDot, a handwriting program designed to teach children how to form letters by using a systematic, step-by-step approach. It emphasizes starting at a specific dot to guide the correct letter formation, making it easier for young learners to develop proper handwriting skills.

We highly recommend Startwrite 6 to parents, teachers, tutors and anyone who needs to make worksheets for their students.

Audiobooks

Audiobooks enable dyslexic users to listen to recorded books, which helps them enjoy reading without the challenge of decoding written text. Some examples:

Audible: One of the most widely used audiobook platforms, Audible offers a vast library of audiobooks across all genres, including exclusive titles. It's available on iOS, Android, and through web browsers.
Libby: This app, powered by OverDrive, allows users to borrow audiobooks and eBooks for free from their local library. It's available on iOS and Android, making it a popular choice for those looking for free content.
Google Play Books: Google Play Books offers a wide range of audiobooks for purchase. Users can listen to their audiobooks across multiple devices, including Android, iOS, and web browsers.
Apple Books: Available on iOS devices, Apple Books offers a large selection of audiobooks that can be purchased and listened to directly through the app.
Kobo Books: Similar to Audible, Kobo Books provides a large library of audiobooks that can be purchased and listened to through the Kobo app. It's available on iOS, Android, and Kobo eReaders.
Scribd: Scribd offers a subscription service that provides access to a large selection of audiobooks, eBooks, and other reading materials. The app is available on iOS, Android, and web browsers.
Learning Ally: Designed specifically for individuals with learning disabilities like dyslexia, Learning Ally provides a vast collection of audiobooks, including textbooks and educational materials, to support students.
Spotify: Known primarily as a music streaming platform, Spotify also offers a selection of audiobooks in various genres that users can stream or download.