Any Experience with Adaptive Technology (Kurzweil, LiveScribe) for Learning?

Updated on February 19, 2016
J.B. asks from Boston, MA
3 answers

Hi mamas! In a conversation with a colleague yesterday, I learned that her dyslexic daughter has been using some adaptive technology in school for many years and now uses some of this at college. She uses Kurzweil, which is a program that can scan and read your texts (and I would imagine has a library of commonly used text books already loaded) as well as a LiveScribe pen, which records your notes as you take them and loads them to a device and converts your handwritten text to typed text so that you can print, edit, store and send your notes.

My oldest son has language-based learning disabilities. While his struggles with reading and writing have led to multiple suggestions of dyslexia, it has been ruled out in comprehensive testing more than once. That said...reading and writing are exhausting for him and have been a barrier to learning and expressing. He CAN absorb a lot of information and has a head full of wonderful ideas, but getting info in and out of his head via textbook and typing is exhausting, and his handwriting is terrible. As he heads into college next year (will do the first two years of credits as a community college so that he can live at home and have more structure and support for a few more years) I am concerned that even at a community college, he'll easily get overwhelmed with the amount of reading, note-taking and writing he'll need to do. He is still on an IEP and that will carry over into college so that he will have access to some support and accommodations in college but I wonder if some of this technology would be helpful.

We have his final IEP meeting in a few weeks and I intend to ask about this kind of technology there but would love to know if any of you or your children have used anything similar and whether or not you found it helpful.

Thanks!

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More Answers

F.W.

answers from Danville on

Hey JB!

As you know, one of my daughters has some challenges. We are currently working with her speech teacher (and by extension, the 'assistive technology' folks in the state) for a customized program for an I pad to assist with her expressive language issues.

There should be an office like that in your state. I cannot speak to the programs you are talking about specifically, but I do know the one that we ultimately decided on for my daughter was pricey. I had to FIGHT for her to get it...and once it is refined, I will get her an I pad for use here at home, and hopefully be able to download it.

It was a bit of a battle to get it in place for her, but I think it has been worth the fight (limited resources...lots of hoops to jump through etc).

I do not know if my answer has helped. I wish you all the best in finding what will work in assisting your son be all he can be!

(God, I sound like an Army ad from a few years ago!!!)

Best

4 moms found this helpful

A.G.

answers from Dallas on

We use Kurzweil in our district (I teach AP English) and it has been very helpful for many students. It's worth checking out.

4 moms found this helpful
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D..

answers from Miami on

I like what Feline and Angela have said, but gotta just bring something up that I automatically thought of when I read Feline's post. (Hi Feline!)

When I type on an iPad, it's so hard! I end up using two fingers for the most part. The typing never works right for me and makes a mess of my writing. So before you think in terms of an iPad for all his work, especially college level work, make sure that he can type well and fast on one. Otherwise, he needs a small, lightweight computer.

2 moms found this helpful
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