4enassistivetechnologydysvet

Assistive technology by Dr Ian Smythe

21 August 2013

Š Ian Smythe 2013

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Contents Contents Introduction What is assistive technology?

9.2 Text to speech 9.3 Speech to text 9.4 Concept mapping 9.5 Preferences 9.6 Memory, organisation and time management 9.7 Other uses of assistive technology 9.8 Assistive Hardware 9.9 Conclusions References Online resources

Assessing strengths and weaknesses

Learning Objectives This module is designed to offer all working with dyslexic individuals, as well as the individuals themselves a clear understanding of the issues around using technology to support and overcome difficulties.

Because technology changes so quickly, the intention is to focus on principles and applications. However, where possible, some examples are provided.

Copyright

Copyright Ian Smythe 2013.

For further details, see the web site.

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Assessing strengths and weaknesses

Aims and objectives of this module This module will focus on the role that technology has in the support of the dyslexic individual, and how it can be applied to help in the learning and working environments. The module should provide the following: 1.An appreciation of how different technologies can help the dyslexic individual.

2.An understanding what is assistive technology and how it can help 3.A reasonable knowledge of what types of technology exist.

4.Knowledge of how these technologies will help overcome the difficulties of the dyslexic individual.

Change Technology changes rapidly. A few years ago blogs were the latest fashion. Then Facebook arrived, and then Twitter.

Who knows what will be next. And it is not just the web sites, but also the content. Many organisations as well as individuals are now using YouTube as a forum for distribution, and the content changes daily.

So whatever may be recommended in these pages, try to identify the key words, and use those to search what else may be out there.

But also remember that technology changes fast.

The latest phones and tablets can change quickly, whether from Apple, Blackberry, Samsung or even Microsoft via Nokia. And lets not forget the likes of Google!

So please see this module as an introduction, and not the final answer!

Links

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Assessing strengths and weaknesses

What is assistive technology Put simply, assistive technology can be described as any technology that assists. But how the term is used will depend on the context. So those with motor difficulties may have a very different understanding to those considering the needs of dyslexic individuals.

If we consider dyslexia as a cognitive difficulty, then the assistive technology would be anything that helps to overcome those specific areas of difficulty. And that technology is usually limited to software, though some discussion of hardware is also important.

Assistive technology is not that which is used to directly improve knowledge. That is, learning software (such as something that reaches as specific part of history) is designed to give you knowledge about a given subject. And when then knowledge is gained, the software can be discarded.

Defining Assistive Technology The British Assistive Technology Association (BATA) is: Assistive technology is any product or service that maintains or improves the ability of individuals with disabilities or impairments to communicate, learn and live independent, fulfilling and productive lives.

Assistive technology is that which helps facilitate the learning, and may be used with many different learning content. It is rarely thrown away (assuming it proved to be useful!).

Note that this also applies to the work environment, where “learning” may not be the primary objective. However, if we consider that we read a report in order to learn and understand its content, then it too may be considered in a similar way.

But assistive technology is not just used for “receptive” activities such as reading. As we shall see, the assistive technology can also we use for “producing”, such as writing essays and reports.

Therefore, if we look at all the areas of difficulty, we can usually find some way that technology can help.

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Assessing strengths and weaknesses

How assistive technology can help

Key to the table

Below is a table that helps show just some of the ways in which technology can support the dyslexic individual. This will help you understand the needs of the individual, and how diverse technologies can help.

HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP Reading Reading reports and text books Reading single words Knowing the meaning of new words Needing to re-read sentences for meaning

TTS

STT

Cmap Mem

TTS – Text to speech STT – Speech to text Cmap – Concept maps Mem - Memory

    

Difficulty in remembering long text Writing

   

Written work is worse than verbal work.

Longer than average to do written work.

Uses poor, sometimes bizarre, spelling.

Difficulty reading their writing.

Has problems explaining ideas and concepts Memory





  

 

 

Difficulty remembering deadline Has difficulty remembering new words.



Has difficulty following instructions.

Motor



Poor handwriting.

Other Finds it difficult to organise themselves.

Has low self-confidence.





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Assessing strengths and weaknesses

Assistive Technology Support

Notes

Two of the easiest ways to understand the role of assistive technology is to look at a)Classification by function, and b)Classification by type of technology Below is a simple diagram that highlights the principle areas where the technology can support the dyslexic individual, and it a summary of those areas listed on the previous page.

Each area can be supported in a number of ways, as will be shown by case studies later in this module.

However, for the purpose of this module we shall identify the technology available, and then offer ideas as to how it may be utilised in study and in work.

Memory

Organisation

Note taking

Reading

Assistive Technology Support

Writing

Listening

Further reading

For an extended discussion on what is assistive technology, see the Dyslang module (log in at www.dyslang.eu) and Dyslexia in the Digital Age. (See the References at the end for details.)

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Assessing strengths and weaknesses

Assistive Technology Support

Notes

This alternative approach illustrates the key areas of technology that can be harnessed by the dyslexic individual.

There will be no attempt in the following pages to say what is good and what is not, since technology evolves at a very rapid rate, and it may change overnight. What we will try to show is the diversity that is currently available, and how that can be used in diverse contexts. However it is for the user (and those supporting them) to identify other ways in which the basis technologies may be utilised.

Memory

Preferences

Concept mapping

Hardware

Text to speech

Assistive Technology

Speech to text

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Case study John – Construction Project Manager John’s employers has been delighted how he had progressed from a building site labourer to qualified brick layer, to on site Foreman. They decided to reward him by further promoting him, which, from their perspective, gave him not only prestige and more money, but also a dry environment to work in, and various perks of the job.

However, what they failed to do was identify the changes that had been occurring is the type of work involved, and the support that would (predictably) be required. They never asked how come he was rising up so rapidly and yet entered the company with no qualifications. They never suspected that his superior ability to see the bigger picture could be compromised by his inability to focus on the detail. And they totally failed to see that as a laboured, no reading and writing was required, which was a very different situation to the demands of a job such as Construction Project Manager.

About this case study The case study highlighted here is, unfortunately, a real one. Later in this module we shall see what could have happened if his needs had been identified, and the technology was offered to help him in his work.

Sadly John left the company of his own accord as he found the paperwork overwhelming. Although everybody was well intentioned, nobody had the foresight to try to look more deeply at his difficulties, and ask for outside help to find out what could be done. With hindsight, when all the factors were taken into consideration (and after some company awareness training), it was obvious that the cause of his difficulties were all around his dyslexia.

Although they were able to instigate changes to ensure that from that point on all dyslexic individuals were supported, it was too late for John. Last I heard, he was working on another building site – as a labourer.

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Assessing strengths and weaknesses

Computers, tablets, phablets and phones Five years ago, discussions of assistive technology would have centred around desktop and laptop computers. However, even in the past two years, the technology landscape has significantly changed. It may be argued that this revolution began with the iPad, which directly and indirectly led to a revolution in how we communicate and learn.

No longer do we think about sitting down and opening the computer. That “computer” is always on. It could be a tablet, which became smaller (lighter and thinner) as we lost the physical keypad. With the latest “phones” having 5.9” screens, and “mini” tablets being 7”, it is not surprising that technology terminology becomes unclear!

Twenty years ago, people would say all the advantages of using computers, such as being able to hide errors, read handwriting, check spelling and have it read out loud. Overall, it improved both access to the written word and confidence.

People suggested that the hardware and software made it a level playing field.

While it may have been true when few people had access to the technology, when it is ubiquitous, the dyslexic individual is often disadvantage again. So while others charge ahead with the new technology, the dyslexic individual does not, because dyslexic individuals: 1)Will not read the manual to see what else is possible.

2)Do not find things as intuitive as others 3)Are fearful of exploring the technology for fear of making mistakes.

4)Do not like tablets as they need a physical reality to confirm where their fingers sit. (See side panel.)

5)Have a habit of loosing items, particularly if small!

Dyslexia and the physical keyboard There is currently no published research on whether or not dyslexic individuals prefer physical keyboards with real keys, or onscreen keyboards.

However, anecdotal evidence suggests that real keys with real physical dimension and movement are preferred.

Reasons may include that there is more “feedback” from the real keys, since you have greater knowledge that your fingers are in the right place, and they you have really depressed that key.

This is particularly helpful for those who also have motor difficulties, which is common in dyslexic individuals.

Furthermore, if the onscreen keyboard covers have the screen, it may mean greater memory needs, to recall what has been hidden.

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Assessing strengths and weaknesses

Online or offline It is important to remember that often this technology does not bring advantages like changing from fourth gear into fifth in a car. For many it can be the key that starts the car!

The implication is that if the dyslexic user does not have access to their assistive technology, then the work does not just slow down, it could stop completely, as the work cannot progress without that technology.

Consider that a blind person is “reading impaired”, and would not be able to read text on the screen without text-to-speech software. Some people refer to dyslexic individuals as “reading impaired.” When you consider it this way, it quickly becomes apparent that the dyslexic individual could be as seriously impaired as the blind person if they did not have their technology support.

Some of the most important advance in recent years have happened due to the ability to use online resources. For example, speech to text is expensive to develop in new languages because you have to capture data from many individuals, which is difficult when the processing is desktop based. But by using the mobile phone, and having the words processed on a central server, it has been possible to increase the number of available languages from 8 supported on desktops to over 30 on the iPhone in the past few year.

On the down side, it means that you need a connection at all times. Some companies (e.g. Google) overcome that by also having versions that can also be used offline. And then in the same way that new service providers are coming on regularly, so too they are disappearing. And if all your work is online, what can you do when all is lost?

Where is my data?

(For “data” you can substitute Report, Essay, Revision, Homework, Notes, Shopping list or any other such material.)

Dropbox is just one of an increasing number of online services that will help the dyslexic individual reduce the danger of forgetting to transfer information.

Consider the following: At work (or college) you use one computer.

At home you use another.

And when you are out, you use a third one.

How do you make sure you have the necessary files on the right computer?

Dropbox, if set up appropriately would allow you to have access to copies online from any computer PLUS synchronise everything so you had identical copies on all computers , to use even when you have no internet connection.

Links

This is a website that compares different online storage systems and costs.

However, please note that many (e.g. Dropbox) also have free options for smaller usage. http://www.thetop10bestonlinebackup.com/online-storage

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Assistive technology

Hardware

Tablets

Choosing the right hardware for the task is important. But before you buy, you need to ask yourself the key questions: Who will use it?

What functions should it have?

Where will you use it?

Why do you need it How will it be used?

When (is it going to be used) There is no room here to discuss all of the possible variations.

But here is one “Case Study” that was an effective solution for that individual.

It is interesting that there is a huge market for physical keyboards to work with tablet machines. What does that tell us about our decision making process when choosing between laptops and tablets?

Case study

Michael decided to use a desktop computer, using a combination of commercial, free and online software. For “on the move” and “away from the desk” work, low cost apps for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 were purchased, using Dropbox to ensure the latest documents were available at all times.

This shared (Dropbox) approach allows for changing technology and decreased the worry of transferring all the right files!

Assistive Technology

Trendy Tablets Curiously, a number of colleagues where were early adaptors of the tablet technology are now using paper-based notepads and old fashioned pens.

Does the preference of being able to flick through past notes on paper have a cognitive basis, or is it just a matter or what you were brought up on?

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Assessing strengths and weaknesses

Text to speech in the office and at college

Notes

Text to speech address one of the two fundamental symptoms of dyslexia, namely the difficult in reading. (The other is the difficulty with writing.) Therefore, a tool that converts the written word into the spoken word will assist some users in the learning process.

There are many forms of text-to-speech software, but they all have one function in common, they convert written text on the computer (or tablet or mobile phone) into human-like speech.

Types of activities Text to speech can be used in many ways. Here are just a few of them which apply to the college and workplace environment.

• Reading online and offline e-books and web pages • Reading electronic documents (Word, pdf etc.)

• Proofreading one’s own work • Checking pronunciation of a word or phrase • Reading as you type at the sentence, word or even letter-byletter level • Reading email and chat These are just some of the day to day uses. To this you can also add concepts such as photographing words on a menu (for example) and have them read out loud. There is even software now that will translate it as well at the same time!

Links

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Assessing strengths and weaknesses

Types of text-to-speech (TTS) tools

Notes

“Text to speech “ software comes in many forms now. Not only are there different versions, but increasingly the software is packaged with other software. While part of that is driven by market needs, some of it is also there just because other manufacturers include it.

One of the fundamental principles is that you need the text that you want spoken out loud to be in electronic format. If you are in the office and only want to access the internet or you want to read electronic documents that colleagues have sent, then there would be no problems. But what if you have a pdf’s where you could not copy and paste, or even paper books. Then the text needs to be turned from an image into a readable file using optical character recognition (OCR). (Note that in the past, you would have to scan a book using a bulky page scanner. But most now smart phones have a camera with good enough quality to send direct to OCR without the need for a scanner.)

Some text-to-speech packages include this OCR, as well as the ability to change the visual presentation and the way it is heard (the voice and the speed in particular).

Most also have the option to save it as a sound. file This means that you can save a document as an mp3 file, and listen to it later using your smart phone when you are away from your computer.

The main tools have been reviewed extensively elsewhere (e.g.

Smythe, 2010). Therefore here we shall restrict orselves to the main five areas, namely: 1. Toolbars (fixed and floating) 2. Standalone cut and paste 3. Embedded talking tools 4. Online tools 5. Apps

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Text to speech – Examples

Assistive technology



The principal text-to-speech tools are as follows. See the Reference for details of where to find them.

1. Toolbars (fixed and floating) Toolbar types text to speech Software generally works with all other software including Word, internet, pdf etc. These are available in many languages.

2. Standalone cut and paste Some packages, such as Balabolka, are free and open source “engines.” This means that you still need to buy the voice. But the voice is only around €30, and therefore this method can be very cost effective.

Ivona version

3. Embedded talking tools One of the best examples of embedded text top speech tools is the Adobe Read Out Loud. Although available in English, it is not available in Czech.

4. Online tools There are many version online, and in particular those which use cut and paste methods. See for example Google Translate, IM Translator and SitePal. There are also web readers available in a few selected languages, such as BrowseAloud. In addition there are services such as Robobraille, which turns the document into a sound file and allows you to download it.

Sitepal version

5. Apps There can be little doubt that the big Advances in the next few years will be The use of text-to-speech on mobile Devices (tablets and phones). Already Much of the technology is there. Now It is about mainstreaming.

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Making your Word document good for text-to speech

Assistive technology

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Notes

It would be good if it was possible to produce a simple set of guidelines around the idea of “Dyslexia-Friendly Documents” with respect to text to speech software. The problem is that there is great variation between the different software packages. So what works for one may not work for another.

There said, there are some guidelines. However, it will depend upon a number of factors including: •Which software package is being used •If you know the recipient and can prepare for them •What type of document it is (e.g. Word, web page, pdf) However, here is a guideline IF you are able to know who you are writing for.

1. Use a Word document. This is very accessible and can be modified by the recipient. PDFs and Powerpoints are problematic for text-to-speech. However, Powerpoints are usually very concise.

2. Leave at least one full line between paragraphs, and between headers and the following paragraphs. This ensure that if there is no full stop at the end of the header, the software will see it as a header. (Some software see these automatically.)

3. Try to avoid homographs (one spelling with two pronunciations) wherever possible. Examples include bow, minute, tear.

4. Ask for feedback, to find out what did not work.

5. Check the document using similar software whenever possible, and share your findings with others.

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Speech-to-text software in the office and in college While text to speech allows the dyslexic individual to listen to other people’s writing, speech to text offers the opportunity to use your voice for writing directly onto the computer. Clearly this avoids the problems around handwriting, typing and spelling, as well as speed. Or at least in theory.

Unfortunately it is not quite that simple. But the future is bright with the increased availability of this software through smart phones and now tablets. This is because the software development allowed for processing on the developers servers, allowing very powerful calculations, and diverse sources to make the software even more robust. (N.B. Android now processes on the phone, meaning connection is not required.) However, before considering this to be a life-saver, please note the following: A)To have the best transcription, you need to train the software to your voice, which means reading text from the screen. Clearly this is a problem for dyslexic individuals.

B)For error correction, a number of alternatives are offered.

But you need to be able to read and interpret those to decide which is correct. Even if they are read aloud, it may be difficult if you have memory issues.

C)You need to be VERY careful to continually save the text as you go along, to ensure you do not loose everything accidently.

D)With the iPhone, the text is only shown when you stop talking.

E)Voice commands on iPhone and Android are good. But dictation is not as good as on the desktop versions.

Assistive technology

95% correct The text on this page has 300 words. The claim for the speech to text software is that it will be 95% correct. And 95% of 300 words is 285 words.

So they claim it will make only make 15 errors. That would be fine if these were random words.

Unfortunately they will most likely be the most difficult words, such as “unfortunately”, “transcription” and “revolutionise.”

So it will fail on the very words that the dyslexic individual will need help on.

There is no doubt that the recent advance made by Apple (with Nuance) and by Google with revolutionise the potential of speech-to-text. But the results will still depend upon the ability to train the software to ones voice.

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Assistive technology

Speech to text – Examples The potential of speech to text has increase considerably in the past few years due to the introduction of two new players – Apple and Google.

However, while web searchers are excellent, dictation is still far from perfect, especially outside the major languages such as English.



Apple iPhone version

Google version

Fortunately, Apple now have a very low cost Czech speech to text app that can be used on the iPhone.

There is also a version for Android phones. And you can even use it through your browser in Google translate.

Speech technology providers For many years, Nuance has been the world leader in speech-to-text software, and is at the heart of both the Apple and Samsung systems.

The Google equivalent (Google Now) is independently developed, though the now almost ubiquitous law suits around patent infringement are beginning to emerge.

However, they appears to be related to the interface rather than the voice recognition technology itself.

Speech to text – “Researcher” versions Several developers have combine the local and online versions in an attempt to make rapid development.

(See for example the Polish Skrybot.)

However, these are definitely not dyslexia friendly.

Links

For a comparison of the Apple and Android systems, see this video. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/22/technology/personaltech/android-vs-siri-the-voice-recognition-sequel.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

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Concept mapping in the office and at college There are many ways in which concept maps may be used.

Here are a few ideas: Brainstorming This is when you want to take all ideas from your head about a subject, and then begin to form the links between them. By “brainstorming” you can put them down on paper or the computer, and later begin to group ideas. This can often provide a good basis of structure often lacking in the thought processes of dyslexic individuals.

Memorize for learning and exams By creating a visualisation of the links between topics, it helps reinforce the learning. Furthermore, when revising those examination notes, it is quicker and easier to look at a simple visual structure than read a lot of text.

Develop and plan essays and reports Concept mapping is a useful tool in development of essays and reports, offering structure at the required level of detail, from chapter down to paragraph level.

Projects planning Project management is one of the biggest commercial uses of concept mapping, allowing visual representation that clearly shows the links and critical paths in the development process.

And if big businesses uses it, there must be significant benefits.

Explain to others Long text takes a lot of time to do, and it linear. A concept map can allow many ideas and their relationships to be simply shown. They allow jumping around the ideas in a way that is often suited to the dyslexic individual, while still providing a basic structure (and memory aid so you do not forget anything!).

Assistive technology

A brief history According to the entry in Wikipedia: “The technique of concept mapping was developed

by Joseph D. Novak and his research team at Cornell University in the 1970s as a means of representing the emerging science knowledge of students. It has subsequently been used as a tool to increase meaningful learning in the sciences and other subjects as well as to represent the expert knowledge of individuals and teams in education, government and business.

Concept maps have their origin in the learning movement called constructivism. In particular, constructivists hold that learners actively construct knowledge.

Novak's work is based on the cognitive theories of David Ausubel (assimilation theory), who stressed the importance of prior knowledge in being able to learn new concepts.”

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Concept mapping – Example

Assistive technology



On the following pages are details of a number of specialist software packages dedicated to concept mapping.

However, in the same way that you could use paper instead of technology, so too you could use non-specialist software to make as effective concept mapping. Below are two examples, both made using Powerpoint.

Free versus Open source Don’t forget that when the mind map is completed, it is still a mind map. That is, the normal accepted format in educational institutions is a linear essay, not a twodimensional drawing.

Many people forget that you still need to understand about priorities, order of importance, start/middle/end, and the principles of structure when drawing a mind map. The quality of the final output is not only a consequence of the ability to draw the idea, but the ability to turn it into a “linear” format. Often it is this skill, rather than the drawing of the concept map, where the dyslexic learner needs most support.

While it may not be possible to output to a Word document, it does highlight that the quality of the output is not a function of the software, but the user and the training they have received.

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Concept mapping – a Quick Guide

Assistive technology

ďƒź

Notes

There are many different ways to teach concept mapping, but in the end there is nothing like actually doing it. Note that you should not attempt to move forward too fast, and make examples realistic to their needs. Structured, sequential, multisensory, repeated learning is the secret to successful learning with the dyslexic student. And those ideas should be used here.

1) Do not try to make a full concept map first time! Instead, try discussing the subject, and writing ideas (concepts) down on small pieces of paper. This allows the individual to concentrate on brainstorm the ideas rather than the structure. It also means they do not have to worry about spelling.

2) Spread the ideas on the table, putting them into groups where appropriate. Then start to discuss links, connections and some form of mapping. It is important to build autonomy, as at some point in the future they will need to do this on their own.

3) Once the (draft) structure is agreed, the dyslexic individual should transfer it to a single piece of paper and draw in the links.

4) Add drawings where appropriate. Drawing can make it easier to remember. The process of drawing reinforces ideas while the picture can capture what may take many words to say. However, there is a danger of too much time is spent on the drawing and not enough on the content.

5) Once the principles have been understood, the computer based version can be introduced. The danger of introducing the technology first is that the principle may be not firmly understood. For many individuals concept mapping tools without large picture libraries can be better than those that have them as it avoids distraction. Don’t forget that you can always print out the concept map and add pictures by hand!

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Concept mapping – Czech menus

Assistive technology

ďƒź

There are many examples of commercial and free Concept mapping tools that have Czech menus. Below are some of the more popular ones.

Paper based Although it is easy to go straight into computer based concept mapping, it is worth practicing the principles on paper first.

Also, a quick search on YouTube will often find some excellent examples to sow to other how useul concet maps can be.

Freemind

From YouTube

Blumind

The iPhone also has a number of apps, such as MindHD. With this software, you can create it on the phone, and send to yourself as a pdf.

From Google images

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Assistive technology

Spelling and Grammar

Autocorrection

Spelling Spelling is a huge problem for dyslexic individuals. Therefore, if technology can help, it will be grabbed with both hands. The problem is that one also trust the system.

And if you are unsure of what the answer should be, a list of alternative may not be very useful. (In the example shown here, the correct word “paws� is not shown.

Spelling can also be accessed through the Spelling and Grammar tool.

This is a very useful tool that can be found in Word. Not only does is correct common errors, but you can also modify it to your own specific needs. Check out YouTube for examples of how to use it.

Below are typical errors it may correct.

Grammar

Grammar is also a major issue for dyslexic individuals. Word has a basic system built in. However, it is not very effective, and again may ask for choices to be made that are beyond the capabilities of the dyslexic individual. Specialist commercial software should be considered where appropriate.

Links http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muZWYSgUkvg

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Assistive technology

Preferences in the office and at college

Notes

Documents are usually prepared in the style of the originator, which may not be the same as that of the reader. Fortunately in Word, it is possible to change most parameters to suit the reader. An example covering most of the options is given below. However, this you could also add line height, and font size.

However, if you only have an option to print in black and white, you may want to think carefully about your options. And the best option is usually to have a small supply of coloured paper (e.g. pale cream) available. Many dyslexic individuals find it easy for reading that the pure white commonly supplied.

Preferences – Example Consider the two examples below. They are the same text, yet 95% of readers suggest that the second one is easier to read.

So what is different?

All changes were made on-screen in Word.

Changes were: •Background colour •Font •Font colour •Line width

Links

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Preferences – Example 2

Assistive technology

ďƒź

Notes

Document programs other than Word also have Options for personal preferences. For example Adobe Acrobat allows background colour changes. Magnification is also possible. There is build in document reading capability in some languages, but unfortunately not Czech.

Preferences – Highlighting Many people are understandably reluctant to deface their own books with notes in the margin and highlighting. Electronic highlighting is non-permanent, yet few people opt to use it. If used correctly, this can be an excellent was to summarise, to revise, and to focus on important content.

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Assistive technology

Memory Memory is a significant issue for dyslexic individuals, and technology is proving to be an important support mechanism.

However, what use is a calendar if never filled, or an alarm on a smart phone if you do not remember what it is for. Training and consistency are the keys to ensuring the technology does assist.

Memory – Example

ďƒź

There are many version of memory devices out there, which come in many forms, including computer based, smart phone, tablet and even specialised hardware. Below are a few examples.

Where do YOU keep YOUR passwords?

Most people have multiple passwords, and remembering which is used where is sometime highly problematic.

Solutions such as Keepass (offline) and Last Pass (online) can be of great use to the dyslexic individual, since their memory needs are reduce to just one password.

However, under pressure, the dyslexic individual may fail to remember that password. Therefore it is always good to have a back-up, such as leaving it with a reliable person.

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Assessing strengths and weaknesses

Recommended reads on adults, dyslexia and assessments

Notes

Dyslexia and Employment: A Guide for Assessors, Trainers and Managers by Sylvia Moody (17 Apr 2009) Dyslexia in the Workplace: An Introductory Guide by Diana Bartlett, Sylvia Moody and Katherine Kindersley (30 Jul 2010) Dyslexia: How to survive and succeed at work by Sylvia Moody (3 Aug 2006) Smythe I (2013) Dyslang Module 6 Employment and Dyslexia Handbook 2009 by Ian Smythe (Jan 2009)

Recommended web sites

Links

Dysvet reading list – www.dysvet.eu/resources/reading_list

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