Leveling the playing field with apps

> Read&Write Web – With the Read&Write Web toolbar you can access and interact with web content using Text-to-Speech with dual color highlighting. This app includes a Dictionary and Picture Dictionary to look up unfamiliar words, Translator to translate selected words into multiple languages, Study Skills to highlight and extract important pieces of information, and Fact Finder to research on the web.

> eBook Reader –  Allows a user to log into Bookshare, search for, open or save a Bookshare eBook, and read the book aloud with dual color highlighting. You can also personalize speech and reading options.

> Speech – Designed for smaller mobile devices and smartphones, Speech allows users to read aloud any typed or pasted text with color highlighting.

> Dictionary – Another App meant for smaller mobile devices, Dictionary allows users to look up  get both definitions and images and read aloud text definitions.

A special education teacher reflects on Book Creator and how it motivates students who are resistant writers.  Here is her story:

"As a Special Education teacher of upper elementary grades, I have several students who are resistant writers. This app has amazing potential to motivate them to write more since the finished product is beautiful, accessible, intuitive, and reflective of their efforts.

I have been using this app with one of my students with intellectual disabilities and what an incredible tool! We took pictures of this student making various emotional faces and then helped her draft a repetition book. She loved being able to record herself reading the pages and willingly practiced and practiced her Frye words and her fluency, without even realizing that she was doing it. She is also happily practicing pronunciation and sentence structure, skills that she would sometimes prefer to ignore!"

Thank you Melanie for telling your story.

"MAIN FEATURES:
• Accurate Internet-free text recognition in more than 60 languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Korean and others.
• Instant translation from more than 40 languages (please note: an Internet connection is required)
• Captured text can be edited or copied to the clipboard
• Fast & convenient information sharing via Facebook, Twitter, email or SMS
•One-tap uploading of recognition results to Evernote"

Download TextGrabber + Translator and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

AppWriter by LingApps is the first text editor for the iPad to offer users of all ages with reading and writing disabilities. It includes a set of integrated tools that include TTS, word prediction and a Mobile OCR Kit.  What does this mean? Convert any printed text to a readable format from your iPad!

Here are the features:

>  No WiFi or 3G needed; everything is embedded and runs directly on the iPad

> High quality TTS with highlighting as text is being read

> OCR - "Any paper document or image becomes accessible. Through the integration of Mobile OCRKit, textbooks, photocopies and handouts are easily converted into text documents. The text can be spoken out loud by AppWriter with color highlighting or edited. AppWriter OCR is the simplest and most affordable way to get any textbook or handout converted for everyone to read and listen to on an iPad. AppWriter OCR comes in more than 12 different languages."

> Word Prediction with the ability to hear each word before selection.

> File Management - emailed, copied to clipboard or export to DropBox.

This will level the playing field for millions of students worldwide!

"Spell checking apps reviewed in this post focus on apps for individuals with learning disabilities that will replace handheld spell checkers. Such spell checkers, such as the Franklin Kids Dictionary, provides text to speech and phonetic based spelling suggestions are frequently used in our classrooms at school as a universal design tool for all students. Phonetic based spell checkers provide support for students who have acquired conventional spelling and have difficulty using standard, alphabet spell checking tools."

The apps that are reviewed include:

>  American Word Speller and Phonetic Dictionary App 

>  SpellChecker 

>  Speller - Free Spell Checker App

>  iSpellChecker - free

>  Merriam Webster Dictionary app (link)

>  Dictionary.com app (link)

An online option is Ginger software that provides online phonetic spell checking and grammar correction.

"Side by Side is a remarkable free app. With Side by Side, you can split the iPad screen into as many as four windows that can be positioned and sized as needed. These windows can be used to view multiple websites, PDF’s or MS Word files. Or, any of the windows may be used for note-taking text editors. Text can be copied into a text editor from other open windows. Text-to-speech is available in any of the windows via Speak Selection."

"Side by Side has its own browser for opening websites. PDF’s and text files can be opened into Side by Side from DropBox or from email attachments. Notes written in Side by Side can be emailed, saved into DropBox or opened into other apps on the iPad."

Thank you Paul for reviewing this great app!

The iModeling Boundaries™ app teaches a child the boundaries of touch. It uses photos (uploaded by the parent/carer) of people involved in the child’s life. The child sorts these photos into groups. Each group has a specific relationship (e.g. family and friends) and a specific kind of touch (hugs and kisses) designated to it.

This sorting process needs to be guided by the parent/carer of the child. The iModeling Boundaries™ app gives the parent/carer the tool to start the conversation around the boundaries of touch and relationships.

The iModeling Boundaries™ app combines two current models of safe-touch; the contact model, which focuses on the types of contact you might have, and the relationship model, which focuses on the type of relationships you engage in. We call the iModeling Boundaries™ app a contact and relationship model."

"iModeling app is a Video Modeling application designed to teach skills to people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other disabilities. Video Modeling uses video to teach new skills. It can be used to teach people of any skill level.

Video modeling is an evidence-based intervention which uses video to teach skills to children with autism and other disabilities. It can be used to teach skills to people of any developmental level.

iModeling™ app puts video modeling technology in the palm of your hand – you can plan, film and edit video footage for your child on one device. An inbuilt tutorial explains the basics of video modeling therapy.

And most important of all, the technique has been researched over three years by Autism SA, an organization with almost fifty years experience delivering services and therapy to people with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

To celebrate Autism Awareness Month, the iModeling and iModeling Boundaries apps created in conjunction with Autism SA are now on sale!"

AutismTrack is free today in recognition of Word Autism Awareness Day. This app usually cost $49.99.

AutismTrack™ is a journaling tool that empowers caregivers of those with autism to easily track interventions, behaviors and symptoms.

Paul Hamilton has offered an excellent review of vBookz PDF Voice Reader for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.  The key app features:

•16 languages aloud.

•Open any PDF directly from the mail, dropbox or iTunes sync.

•Read almost any PDF aloud.

•Reading orientation tools.

•Auto text follower mechanism.

•High quality male and female voices.

Here are some of Paul's comments:

"It could hardly be easier to bring PDF files into vBookz PDF Voice Reader! Simply open a PDF email attachment, or a PDF file in your DropBox account. Then click on the forward icon to be given the option of opening the file in vBookz PDF Voice Reader. Once a PDF file has been opened, it remains on a book shelf in the “Library” for future reference. The process seems to work well with both short files and those that are book-length."

There is also a version of vBookz PDF Voice Reader for Mac computers.

"Predictable is an exciting text-to-speech application for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Offering customisable AAC functions with the latest social media integration, Predictable sets a new benchmark."

Using a word prediction engine and switch access, Predictable meets the needs of a wide range of people using AAC including those with MND/ ALS, Cerebral Palsy and people with communication difficulties after a stroke or head injury.

Predictable comes in several languages and features:

• "Easy to use category folders to store quick phrases or prepared messages
• History view with access to last used phrases
• Ability to compose and send emails
• Ability to update Facebook status or send a Tweet
• Ability to send an SMS
• Note pad option – hand write on the screen
• Emoticons – to add laughter, crying or whistling to your message."

"Text to speech tools provide access to print to struggling readers to support decoding, vocabulary and comprehension skills. With accessibility features of Voice Over and Speak Selection tools integrated into iOS5 on iDevices, text to speech is readily available in many apps (not all) and solidly when accessing Internet-based text using Wi-Fi. The iOS5 speak tools are rather amazing when you turn on Voice Over Triple Click in Accessibility (General>Accessibility>Triple-click Home> Voice Over selected) and have the Speak Selection turned on. 

What text to speech options are available when you don’t have Wi-Fi, or have text a student needs to access spoken out loud?"

Here are a list of apps with reviews that can level the playing field for learners who struggle with reading.

> Speak-it

> Write & Say

> Knowtilus

> Mr. Talker HD

> SpeakText

> Speak it to Me

> Read&Write Web Apps

With any of these apps, it pays to have earbuds readily available.