Kelsey Crouch

EDU-214

Assistive Technology: Students with Dyslexia

I have dyslexia. I wasn’t diagnosed until my 7th year of school when my reading teacher

noticed that I was having an extremely difficult time reading out loud but yet I did perfectly fine

on all of my oral and written test. I could read in my head but when it came to saying the words

out loud all the letters became confused. After a test in class determining that I was an audio

learner, I was tested for dyslexia. The assessments were clear, I had what they thought. I

remember feeling embarrassed and didn’t like the feeling of having a disability. With time I was

able to develop ways to trick my brain into thinking normally. I never used technology in my

therapy for dyslexia. After some research, I wish such things were available when I was in

school.

One on the many assistive technologies used in the classroom for student with dyslexia

is the text-to-speech software. It allows students to learn in the way which they can learn the

best. The majority of students receive a recording device, text-to-speech software and concept

mapping tools in addition to a standard computer system. According to the article I read on the

CSN library page, ninety percent of participants are satisfied or very satisfied with the hardware

and the software that they receive. Coming from a firsthand experience, I believe that text-to-

speech software should be implemented into every classroom. If dyslexia is discovered at an

earlier age, combined with the right in-class software, students will be able to learn without

restrictions because of their disability.

Work Cited
Evans, DG. "CSN Library: Use of Assistive Technology by Students with Dyslexia in Post-
secondary Education." Full Text Electronic Journal List. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.
<http://lp7lc5er8n.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004>.