Technology

Technology is an extremely useful tool for students with Dyslexia. The type of technology used really depends on the person, how severe their Dyslexia is, and their individual learning style/needs. I think most dyslexic students can agree that they all benefit from a speech-to-text application. The following is a list of technology that I have found to be most beneficial for me;

· Apple’s built-in dictation feature, powered by Siri, which is part of Apple’s desktop and mobile

  operating systems

· Apple Pencil

· Grammarly

· Notability

· GoodNotes

Apple’s Dictation Feature

On iOS devices, you use it by pressing the microphone icon on the stock keyboard that comes with your Apple device. When deciding what kind of computer to purchase, I specifically chose a Mac laptop because it connected with all my other Apple devices (iPad, iPhone) and it had the microphone button right on the keyboard at my fingertips. I use this feature for all my writing.

Apple Pencil

The Apple pencil works on the iPad, and it takes handwritten text and converts it to typed text. I find this really helpful for taking notes, planning and brainstorming ideas.

Grammarly

Grammarly is an intuitive, real-time interface that’s available to anyone who types through Grammarly for Windows and Mac, their browser extensions, mobile applications, or their web editor. It is a helpful tool for dyslexic students because it provides the student with real-time writing support through the browser extension and the ability to paste their written text into their web editor to proofread and identify corrections. The free App gives you correction help, and the premium version gives you a number of different features to help develop your written output, such as help with correctness, clarity, engagement, delivery and plagiarism. I personally have purchased the premium version as I use the correctness and clarity features a lot.

Grammarly has been a game-changer for me personally as I was struggling with my proofreading and editing, as Word’s spell-check feature often didn’t work well for me.

What is also great about Grammarly is that it can be used across a number of platforms: MS Office 365, Google, Gmail, LinkedIn, and any other app you use, even in text messages.

Grammarly

Notability & GoodNotes

Notability and GoodNotes are note-taking apps that replace paper and pen and allow you to take notes digitally.

Notability

Notability is a note-taking tool for students. It is one of the most popular note-taking apps, with thousands of positive reviews.

This App includes features to help students take notes digitally, organize files and photos, schedule time and use planner templates. It also allows for audio recording, math conversion, and PDF annotation, making it easy to capture information during classes.

GoodNotes

GoodNotes is intended to replace paper and pen for digital note-taking. It is a well-used App by a lot of students and has won the Apple iPad App of the Year Award in 2022.

This App includes features to help students organize their thoughts and ideas, including page customization, nesting folders, flashcards, AI tools, and collaborative capability.

Resources

8 Things You Can Do With Your Apple Pencil

How to Use GoodNotes

How to Use Notability

Review of Best Tech Dictation Software

GoodNotes Vs. Notability – What’s the Difference

iPad for Students ✏️ Note taking, best apps, tips & accessories