Using ICT To Support People With Dyslexia

As we become more aware of how widespread dyslexia and other reading and writing problems are and how limiting their effects can be, there is a need for earlier identification and more effective remedial action. Computers are an extremely effective tool in making this possible. This course will equip delegates with information on software & hardware that helps those who have a reading & writing difficulty. At the end of the course, you will have a greater awareness and practical knowledge of how the computer can be used to help address reading and writing difficulties, such as Dyslexia.

An introduction to computer software and strategies which can support people who have dyslexia and other reading or writing difficulties.

The course includes:

• Why a computer can help ... and useful free “adjustments”
• Better spell checking and automatic correction ... without cost
• Effective options for presenting text on the computer screen
• Useful help with Homophones and other confusions
• Word prediction and word banks, Planning tools and mind mapping Scanning and optical character recognition
• The computer reading text back – Text to Speech
• Voice recognition... potential and reality, current systems, criteria for choice

Course Content
The course consists of seminar interlinked with hands-on sessions. There will be explanation and demonstration of a “dyslexia toolkit”. IBM-compatible PCs will be used which run Windows XP (not Windows Vista). The hands-on work will be in groups of three or four. Each group will work on several areas, reinforcing knowledge through direct experience. These sessions will be focussed around free and cheap solutions, text to speech, word prediction and word banks, and multi function packages.

Comments from participants in previous dyslexia seminars

“I had no idea what was possible.”

“... practical ideas, even for computer-phobes ...”

“I will be able to pass on some terrific ideas to colleagues”.

- Will be held from 10.00am to 16.00pm