What Counts as Assistive Technology?
Assistive technology can include hardware, software, and accessibility features that help someone perform a task. For reading and learning, examples include reading pens, text-to-speech, audiobooks, screen readers, electronic dictionaries, speech recognition, word prediction, spell checkers, digital note-taking tools, accessible ebooks, and display and text adjustments.
The International Dyslexia Association recommends considering the student, environment, task, and tool when evaluating assistive technology.
Reading Pens
A reading pen is designed to interact directly with printed text. Depending on the device, it may scan words, recognize text, speak text aloud, provide definitions, translate text, or store information. Reading pens can be especially useful when the barrier is printed text.
Text-to-Speech
Text-to-speech converts written digital content into spoken language, helping make web pages, PDFs, digital textbooks, documents, emails, and online assignments more accessible.
The International Dyslexia Association specifically identifies text-to-speech among assistive technologies that can support students who struggle with reading.
Audiobooks
Audiobooks can give children access to stories and information without requiring them to decode every printed word, and can be particularly useful for longer texts.
However, audiobooks and reading instruction serve different purposes: listening to a book can provide access to its content, while explicit reading instruction helps develop reading skills.
How Do You Choose the Right Tool?
Use a task-first approach. First identify the task — for example, "my child needs to read printed worksheets independently." Then identify the barrier, such as "unfamiliar words cause frequent interruptions." Then identify possible solutions: a reading pen might be worth evaluating, or if the material is primarily digital, text-to-speech may be more appropriate.
Theoretical usefulness is not enough — the child needs to actually be comfortable using the tool.
Assistive Technology Should Not Become Another Burden
A tool can be technically powerful and still be a poor choice. Ask whether it is easy to operate, whether the child actually uses it, whether it slows the task down, whether it is portable, whether it works with the child's materials, and whether teachers can support its use.
A simple tool that a child actually uses can be more valuable than a complicated tool with dozens of unused features.
Assistive Technology and School Accommodations
Schools may provide or permit various accommodations and technologies depending on the student's needs, educational setting, and applicable policies — examples include text-to-speech, audio-format instructions, electronic dictionaries, speech-to-text, extended time, and alternative presentation formats.
The International Dyslexia Association lists several of these types of accommodations for students with dyslexia. Parents should work with the child's school and support team to determine what is appropriate.
Technology Is Support, Not a Shortcut
Assistive technology should not be viewed as "cheating." Its purpose is to provide access. At the same time, it should not be expected to replace effective reading instruction — evidence supports systematic reading interventions for students with reading difficulties, while assistive technology can help learners access information and demonstrate what they know.