App Resources for Learners with Dyslexia and LD

Hello, DAE Community Members -

The responses to using Scoop.it to learn more about apps for learners with disabilities suggest that it may not be a good match for our community at this time.  However, we are exploring other ideas of discovering and sharing apps with members who are still interested in the topic.  In the meantime, I am beginning to share some resources for interested members to start exploring on their own.  

One resource that I've found is Dyslexia Help, an initiative under the auspices of the University of Michigan's Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office.  The Dyslexia Help site has a resource page on Apps for Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities, which is described on the website as "an extensive and meticulously organized list of apps that may be helpful to individuals with dyslexia, ...or the professionals who work with dyslexics."  The site administrators note that they "carefully consider each app before we add it, ensuring that it claims to help dyslexics in ways that are in line with the evidence on how to help dyslexics. In other words, we add apps that aid with the cognitive processes used in speaking, reading, spelling, and writing, but we do not add apps that are visual aids for reading, because evidence shows that dyslexia is not a visual disability".

If you have questions about the apps listed, or would like to suggest an app, you are encouraged to email Dyslexia Help at dyslexiahelp@umich.edu. If you explore any of the apps listed here, I ask you to share your experience with the rest of the DAE community.  Tell us the name of the app, the context in which you used it with a learner (ie.assignment: reading and/or writing) and any successes or challenges experienced.

Happy Exploring!

Mike Cruse

Disabilities in Adult Education Moderator

michaelcruse74@gmail.com 

Comments

Hi Mike:

I would like to put in a pitch for direct instruction in using word processing features so that students (with and without learning disabilities) effectively use them before they leave adult education for college and career.  For example, some students can identify the correct spelling of a word if they see it in the drop down menu; some students can identify a word's spelling if they use the thesaurus and see similar words; some can identify a word by hearing it pronounced. Learning to personalizing the dictionary with (correctly spelled) proper nouns or technical terms that they use frequently can help.  Students need to know what features makes a difference for them and then need lots of practice.  And, some students with poor handwriting should word process just about everything that goes beyond their own personal use.  The stigma attached to poor handwriting can impact how employers and instructors evaluate their work and ability.

I am hoping that teachers have sufficient time and technical resources to do this.  I'd like to hear if that's true.

Cynthia Zafft

Postsecondary Completion Moderator