	Vol. 7, No. 3 Summer 1999	Previous Issues Subscribe to AT Messenger Download PDF Viewer
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Technology for Reading and Writing

Michael Meyreles, ATP, New Castle County ATRC

As computer technology has advanced over the years, with better sound systems and multimedia capabilities, the available technology for reading and writing has also improved. This article highlights some of the software and hardware that can support and improve a person's reading and writing capabilities.

Reading

Document reading systems have been available for a number of years using a combination of software and hardware to provide auditory output of printed text to the user. These systems can be dedicated devices or computers used in conjunction with a scanner. Lernout & Hauspie's Kurzweil 1000 and Arkenstone's Open Book Unbound are two document reading systems, originally designed for persons who are blind, that have become useful tools for individuals who are print illiterate, learning English as a second language, or having difficulty reading.

With more students being identified with learning disabilities, Lernout & Hauspie and Arkenstone have developed programs with features to address the needs of those students. Lernout & Hauspie developed Kurzweil 3000 and Arkenstone created Wynn. Both programs give students alternatives to a textbook. Users can scan in a page from a textbook and the image appears on the screen as it does in the text, including all pictures and objects. With the built-in optical character recognition component, text can be read back to the user in various modes (such as by letter, word, sentence, line, or paragraph).

There are other software programs--available for both the Macintosh and the PC-- that convert text to speech. Ultimate Reader, Write:OutLoud, and IntelliTalk are some commercially available programs. Ultimate Reader's unique features allow the user control over the auditory feedback, text, background and highlight colors, and can take text from any source--the Internet, word processing files, or scanned-in text. The unique feature of Write:OutLoud is a talking spell checker. IntelliTalk is marketed as a talking word processor.

Tex-Edit Plus is a Macintosh-based program that can convert text to speech. This program is shareware available on the Internet. When accessing E-text from the Internet, extraneous characters-line feeds and hard returns-appear in the text. Tex-Edit Plus can clean up these characters.

Writing

Hardware and software tools are also available for aiding writing. Two of the more popular hardware items used to assist in writing are the AlphaSmart 2000 and the various Franklin Spellers. The AlphaSmart 2000 is a portable keyboard or notetaker that is compatible with any Macintosh or PC. It enables students to practice keyboarding and to write and electronically store reports, essays, and notes without having to be at a computer. Its portability allows students to use it in the classroom, at home, or on field trips.

There are many different types of Franklin Spellers available, ranging in price from approximately $50 to $500. Entering a misspelled word into this device causes a correction list to appear (with auditory feedback) that enables the user to easily locate the correct word.

Word prediction/abbreviation expansion programs are excellent writing tools for individuals with writing difficulties. Co:Writer, EZKeys, and other word prediction/abbreviation expansion programs help students by creating a list of words based on the first couple of keystrokes or completing a phrase with a predetermined abbreviation.

The reading software programs highlighted earlier can also aid in the writing process. By providing auditory feedback of text, a student can hear what he/she types.

This article highlights only a few of the products available for aiding students with reading and writing. For more information regarding the featured products or any other assistive technology please contact your local ATRC.