There are several handheld communication devices out there. Most of them look similar to a PDA but also have communication software (text and symbol supported) avalible. Some places to look for devices such as these would be: http://www.cyranocommunicator.com/, http://www.dynavoxtech.com/products/ichat3.aspx, http://www.saltillo.com/, or http://www.words-plus.com/.

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Word prediction software is a very popular tool for a large number of students in education. Students with a wide variety of disabilities (autism, learning disability, cognitive disabilties, physical disabilities, etc.) all can benefit from word prediction software. It can shorten keystrokes for those with physical impairments, it can provide support for poor spellers and the auditory feedback helps when there is processing difficulties.

The important question to ask is what is the learner NOT able that they might be able to do with the introduction of the right assistive technology. Will word prediction help them to do this task that they are currently unable to do? The way to answer the question is by collecting baseline information about how many words do they currently compose, how long does it take them to compose, what is the quality of the writing, and how do they perceive themselves as a writer?? Then compare this to information collected after a reasonable amount of time spent using and learning the tool.

There is a framework for making these decisions called the SETT framework. This is a whole other conversation but helps to organize how to match technology needs in different environments with the appropriate assistive technology.

Bridget

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