SymbolSupport is an assistive word processor automatically translating words into pictures and symbols, a task that is especially helpful for students with cognitive disabilities. Users can create new documents or copy and paste work from other apps into SymbolSupport, and the program will convert the text into symbols. SymbolSupport is an easy way to add symbols and speech to text. Documents can be read with a high quality text-to-speech voice while text is highlighted word by word. This app is intended to help learners with an intellectual disability or autism access important information like class assignments, step-by-step instructions, and social stories. Documents created in SymbolSupport can also be read with the free SymbolSupport Viewer app. You can email your symbolized documents as images or PDFs.
Clicker Docs is designed to help develop students’ writing skills and build struggling writers’ confidence — the writing tool that provides differentiated support for students with disabilities. An assistive word processor that can support students with a variety of disabilities. Clicker Docs uses word-prediction technology to offer students spelling and grammatical suggestions to correct their writing. Synthesized speech allows students to review their work by listening for auditory cues. Teachers can set up word banks to provide students with advanced vocabulary. Finally Clicker Docs integrates with Dropbox to provide secure cloud storage and document sharing.
For a quick overview of Clicker Docs and Clicker Sentences, watch the video below:
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 6.0 or later.
SoundNote provides a way to take notes in meetings, lectures, and interviews. It tracks what you type and draw while recording audio, so you’ll never worry about missing an important detail. During playback, just tap a word: SoundNote will jump right to the proper time in the audio. SoundNote’s drawing tool provides a way to make quick sketches, and it is easy to edit them. You can share your text, drawings, and audio notes via email, or transfer them directly to your Mac or PC.
For a quick tutorial of SoundNote, watch the video below:
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. iOS 5.1 or later.
Panther Writer offers four newly designed and highly innovative keyboards designed to improve access and efficiency for typing in many situations. The keyboards are particularly powerful for individuals with disabilities such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy, ALS, strokc, and other conditions which affect motor control. The four keyboards are: Basic Plus: a small variation on basic keyboard organization with features such as hold times, different alphabets, etc.; Tom’s Keyboard: a powerful new layout that feels familiar, yet makes the keys you need most, easier to hit; Mini Touch: a keyboard that’s smaller, for people who have trouble moving their fingers a distance; and Vertical Fall: a new concept for people who have severe diabilities. Just drag your finger along the bottom of the iPad and the letters and symbols come to you.
For a short tutorial of 3 Panther apps, including Panther Writer, watch the video below:
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 5.1 or later.
iWordQ (English) is an easy-to-use writing and reading application to assist struggling writers and readers. In Writing mode, a simple text editor is used for writing with the support of word prediction, abbreviation-expansion and speech feedback features. Spell-check and dictionary access is included. Use speech recognition with an iPad 3, 4, mini. Text documents are saved automatically and are retrieved from the File menu. Dropbox support is included for sharing documents across systems. Documents may also be shared through several other connections, including email, Facebook, Twitter, Message, the pasteboard, and opening in other Apps.
In Reading mode, text is shown in a more visually pleasing manner to improve readability. This is used for proofreading, reading to learn, silent reading, reading aloud, and casual reading/listening. A novel text chunking method (patent-pending) can be selected to enhance comprehension and readability of text to allow you to focus on one text chunk at a time.
For a quick tutorial for iWordQ, watch the video below:
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 and later.
Firefly K3000 is a mobile extension to the Kurzweil 3000 – firefly Web License education program that delivers anytime, anywhere access to key reading supports for those individuals with the cognitive ability, but not the literacy skills, to learn from age appropriate content.
The Firefly K3000 iPad app delivers core text-to-speech reading functions with speed, voice, and pacing accommodations; and access to the shared Universal Library content available to Kurzweil 3000 – firefly Web License customers.
For instructions on how to get Firefly K3000 and a tutorial on how to use it, watch the video below:
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later.
iReadWrite makes reading easier and ensures accurate writing as you use your iPad for school, work, or leisure. This reading and writing app runs directly on the iPad with no WiFi or 3G access necessary. It includes support features that benefit struggling readers and writers of all ages, especially those with dyslexia, dysgraphia, or other learning difficulties. Support features include: text-to-speech, word prediction, phonetic spell checker, homophone and confusables checker; dictionary; picture dictionary; customizable background and text colors; choice of voices and fonts, and importing and sharing documents.
For an overview of iReadWrite, watch the video below:
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 6.0 or later.
Abilipad, previously known as Intellipad, is a set of writing tools that, as described by the developer, “combines the functionality of a noteopad with word predication, text-to-speech and a customizable keyboard.” A comprehensive review of this app is available on the Apps for Special Needs Children website. There is also a video supporting the review of the app on this page.
A series of two video tutorials have been posted on YouTube. They can be viewed below.
Requirements: Compatible with iPad.Requires iOS 4.3 or later.
App Writer US is a new app from a programming studio in Denmark. It is a text editor for the iPad with word prediction, text-to-speech, OCR, and a special font for people who are Dyslexic. The developers have put together a short video to introduce the product.
I learned about this app in a QIAT listserv posting made by Karen Jankowski, an AT specialist. Here is what she said on 3/14/12:
Everyone needs to know about this great free app which supports struggling writers, the ones who have great ideas but can’t get them down on paper for a number of different reasons.
It’s an amazing app which allows you to import pictures, documents, items from dropbox, etc and then either type, write or use speech recognition into text boxes. After the document is completed, there are a number of ways to share it.
So many uses. But some of the most important include:
1. import a test or quiz, add text boxes into which students record their answers using speech recognition and then share with teacher 2. Create a graphic organizer in another app or take a picture of a graphic organizer, import into Notes and then use speech recognition to complete the organizer. Share
3. Complete writing prompts using speech recognition to complete paragraph writing more independently.
Many more but this one is essential for our struggling writers as it promotes independence and negates a need for a scribe.
Have fun!
The developers describe their product as a digital note taking tool, allowing the user to combine documents, web content, audio, typed text, and handwritten notes into a single document that can be shared.
Requirements: Compatible with iPad.Requires iOS 4.2 or later.