Learning disabilities do not go away with time. However, assistive technology can help children with learning disabilities leverage their strengths and work around or compensate for specific learning problems. These supports can be key to helping users become more independent in school and throughout life — on the job and in activities for daily living.
Our new e-book, 50 Questions About LD, is filled with answers to common LD questions. Topics include: how to deal with the “LD” label, RTI and working with your child’s school, the emotional impact of learning disabilities at school and home, preparing teens for college and work, and related issues like AD/HD and giftedness. More >
Two experts, Joanne Karger, J.D., Ed.D., Policy Analyst and Research Scientist at Center for Applied Special Techology (CAST) and Mary Bronwell Ph.D., Professor of Special Education at University of Florida, share their expertise on assistive technology for children with learning disabilities, and offer advice to parents who seek more information for their child. More >
Learning disabilities can't be cured or fixed. But with the help of certain tools and techniques, a child (or adult) with a learning disability can work around his or her difficulties in reading, writing, spelling, math, organization or memory.
Many children, adolescents and adults w... More >
To first provide a simple LD-focused definition of assistive technology, let's define assistive technology as any item, any piece of equipment or any system that helps an individual bypass, work around or compensate for a specific learning problem. Though not as broad as the legal de... More >
Students with learning disabilities often have trouble with study skills like getting and staying organized—a crucial executive function skill—and remembering what needs to happen and when. My daughter (who has dyslexia) and I have researched and/or tested the following apps, and ... More >
Reflecting back on my time as a rookie junior high school teacher in the mid-1970s, I remember regularly asking my LD Resource Room students to reflect (we called it “constructive complaining”) on what they could do, both in school and at home, to complete their assignments, be mo... More >
Technology can be a great tool for students (and adults!) who have learning disabilities like dysgraphia or dyslexia that affect their written expression. We’ve personally reviewed these mobile apps and we know they’re LD-friendly. They can make the writing process a bit easier a... More >
For many families, the back-to-school season means shopping for school supplies and new clothes. As it gets closer to the first day of school, for a young child it means watching the mailbox for a letter from his new teacher, or for older students it means going to school to register... More >
Students with learning disabilities (LD) may struggle with schoolwork in many different areas. While most are likely to have trouble with reading, others may have issues with math, memory, organization, or writing. Assistive technology (AT) can be a great way to minimize the extent to... More >
Reading is the area in which students with dyslexia struggle the most. Fortunately, there are many mobile apps that can help. While we’ve reviewed all of the following ones, and they work well for my daughter who has dyslexia, we also know that “one size (or app) does not fit all.... More >
In this interview with NCLD, Dr. Pisha and Mr. Stahl discuss their work at the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), including Thinking Reader, a program they developed to help teach reading to both struggling and mainstream students.
Could you please tell us a littl... More >
When children struggle in school due to a learning disability (LD), certain accommodations like assistive technology (AT) can be instrumental in enabling them to be more independent learners, to reinforce effective classroom instruction, and to strengthen their skill development.
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The following is a transcription of the podcast, “Assistive Technology: Getting the Right Supports for Your Student (Audio).”
In this NCLD podcast, Candace Cortiella interviews Dr. Dave Edyburn, a leading expert in assistive technology (AT) for students with disabiliti... More >
Ever-evolving mobile technologies offer hope to students who have a learning disability like dyscalculia or dyslexia. My daughter (who has dyslexia) and I researched and/or tested all of the apps below, and we think they’re especially helpful to the student with LD in dealing with m... More >
Children with learning disabilities (LD), like dyslexia, have trouble understanding words they read. Causes are unclear, but we now know that LD is not due to a lack of intelligence or a desire to learn. While dyslexia is a life-long condition, early identification, support from a pa... More >
My teenage daughter and I recently had the privilege of presenting at the Family Cafe's Annual Conference in Florida. My daughter (who has dyslexia) gave a presentation on "Dyslexia: The Challenges, the Achievements, the Possibilities" and my presentation was called, "There's An App f... More >
We reached out to our social media community and asked for their favorite LD-related app recommendations. A quick browse through this list will connect you with various apps that can educate, inspire and motivate students with learning disabilities. If you have any other ideas, please... More >
In Part I of our article, "Can Audio and/or Digital Books Make a Difference in Your Child’s Learning Outcomes - Part l," we learned about AIM, the acronym for accessible instruction materials and that more printed texts (e.g., books, literature, novels, K-12 textbooks) are now avail... More >
Are you or your child iPad, iPod, or iPhone-crazy? If so, you’ll want to learn about the accessibility features built in to Apple’s iOS that might be particularly beneficial to people with learning disabilities (but worth noting for all).
Speak Auto Text
The "Speak Auto Text" fe... More >
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