Dyslexia help and advice, information, contacts, research and articles about dyslexia; dyslexia in the workplace and at college; books amd software; and assessment for adults who may be dyslexic or have difficulties with spelling.

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• • Co-Writer 4000 Translating thoughts into writing can be overwhelming. Your writing often suffers from phonetic or inventive spelling, lack of richness, limited detail, and incoherence. This word prediction program empowers more written self-expression. "Co-writer 4000 is a great instrument. It can be use as a thesaurus and give power words that will strength your writing style while developing a wider vocabulary." (B.R.N., Iraq) Co-Writer 4000. USA | UK

• • TextAloud - TextAloud uses voice synthesis to convert text into spoken audio. Listen on your PC or create MP3 or WMA files for use on portable devices like iPods, PocketPCs, and CD players. TextAloud

• • IBM ViaVoice is similar to Dragon Naturally Speaking, though less well reviewed. ViaVoice Pro USB Edition, Release 10, includes a quality headset microphone with USB adapter. USA | UK.

• • WordTalk - free plug-in developed for use with all versions of Microsoft Word (from Word 97 upwards), which can help people with reading difficulties use Microsoft Word more effectively. It will speak the text of the document and will highlight it as it goes. It contains a talking dictionary to help decide which word spelling is most appropriate. It sits neatly in your toolbar and is highly configurable, allowing you to adjust the highlight colors, the voice and the speed of the speech. WordTalk.

• WordQ2 - a software tool used along with standard writing software. It suggests words for you to use and provides spoken feedback to help you find mistakes. Users of all ages who have problems writing and editing can benefit from using WordQ. WordQ was researched and developed at Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Centre, an internationally renowned children’s rehabilitation hospital located in Toronto, Canada.

• WordsWork - Wordswork is a multi-sensory approach to improving study skills for older dyslexic learners. It uses graphics, voiceovers, color and humor to develop a variety of language skills which dyslexic students (and others) need to address. Using a "learning style" approach, students are encouraged to identify and use their strengths to overcome areas of weakness. The program includes many exercises to involve users in interactive learning. The wide attraction of the programme results from the sophisticated, yet amusing, approaches used. The program is not intended to teach basic reading skills, but all printed screens are accompanied by "voice-overs", reducing the need for excessive reading.Features: Essay writing; Exam revision; Grammar; Handwriting; Memory; Oral presentation; Punctuation; Reading; Spelling; Time management; Vocabulary building. Article by the author.

• PenFriend - Supportive writing software featuring word prediction (predictive typing), on-screen keyboards, screen-reader speech feedback, etc. Penfriend XP's core strength is in predicting the next word you want to write. It does this using a dictionary of known words, along with detailed knowledge of when they are likely to be used, their grammatical type, words you have used before, and so on. Every time you type a letter, it comes up with a new list of the most likely words which fit your letters. Choosing one is a simple matter of pressing one more button, or clicking on the word with the mouse. If you're not sure how to read it, you can hear it spoken before you choose a word.

• WordQ - a writing tool used along with standard Windows word processing software. It uses advanced word prediction to suggest words for you to use and provides spoken (text-to-speech) feedback.

• Inspiration - a program that is used to generate ideas for a topic in order to make an essay. The program types a word – and you write another word associated with the first word and another and it builds diagrams.
     For example let’s say you must write an essay about the “highway system”. It puts these words in a box, then it branches out into another box, for example with the words “ministry of transportation”, and another box - “roads”- “vehicles” , each time branching out into more details. (Keppy Guberman, Israel).

• BrowseAloud - Free to download, "easy to use with control over the voice, pitch and speed, Browsealoud is there when you need assistance as you navigate the Web. Simply by scrolling your mouse over the text that you want read to you, Browsealoud will read and speak what you require, helping you navigate websites more easily."

• Sensus Internet Browser - Free to download - talks to the user through its built-in speech synthesizer. Using the built-in speech synthesizer, the visually impaired user can read the contents of documents originating from the Internet. Furthermore, the user may use the synthesizer to read documents from the local disk. Finally, the speech synthesizer is used to convey addition useful information to the user relating to the Internet dialogue.

• Textic - A British inventor, himself dyslexic, has come up with the 'Textic' toolbar to make reading the web or even a word processor easier. Once installed on your machine, you can use the Textic toolbar to alter a web site's background color, text color, text size, font style and color, as well as directly access a thesaurus, dictionary and unique messaging 'keypad'. The tool bar has been approved by the British Dyslexia Association.

• Speegle - Free talking search engine which will read your search results out loud to you in a voice of your choice. Highly recommended.

• • • 'Web Talkster' - talking browser - Inexpensive - will read web pages out loud for you as you browse the Internet.

• HelpRead - Free software that "reads along with you while you do the reading. Whether you’re younger or older, new to reading or have your own library, this program should be able to help you read more and understand more of what you read".

• ReadPlease - Free - "Shatters the myth that computers must sound robotic and monotonous. Just imagine having web pages and e-mail read aloud to you. If you are finding there is just too much on-screen reading with all of this technology, then you will love using ReadPlease".• Franklin Spell checkers - 'invaluable.'

• Study Skills reference (students and college) .

• Quicktionary Reading Pen - reads single words of text through an earphone, as well as providing a definition on its small screen. Recommended for difficult single words.

• Visual Tracking Magnifier - helps with reading, in particular many dyslexics who experience pattern glare and/or fixation problems.

• Ultimate Speed Reader - encourages the user to increase reading speed in a variety of ways. A typical training session lasts about 30 minutes, and begins with 'Reading Warm-Ups,' which are essentially limbering drills for the eyes and brain. Moving on, the user strengthens 'Eye Movement' skills by following along with highlighted text that tracks at targeted speeds, as does the 'Newspaper Reading' section which features columnar text. 'Paced Reading' includes longer reading passages at a preset pace, and 'Timed Reading' offers timed sessions so the user can monitor his or her progress.

• Kurzweil 3000 - 'The Kurzweil 3000 is the greatest tool to benefit the dyslexic student. My high school students can bring in a library book or an article, etc. and scan the material one class period and listen/follow along the next period. The students can use bookmarks and change the voice and speed that it reads to their individual tastes. However, its greatest drawback is that scanning each page of text when reading a book is extremely time consuming and takes a large amount of computer space. Therefore, my son finds that he does not use the program as much as he would like to, due to this drawback. (Keppy Guberman, Israel).

• The Best Computer Spell Checker - Recent research by Dr Peter Kelway compared four computer spell checkers:
1. Microsoft Word spell-checking,
2. TextHelp's Read & Write,
3. Keystone Ellipsis, and
4. Spell Catcher.
The Microsoft Word spell checker came out top of the list, with the target word coming out either top of, or second in, the list in 31% of cases. Dyslexia Review Spring 2007

• Speaking NotePad - Affordable program which will read aloud what is on your computer screen.

• ReadPal - New software program which provides a choice of font faces and colored backgrounds for reading web pages, emails and word processing documents.

DISCUSSION BOARDS

• Dyslexia Adults Link Discussion Forum - especially for dyslexic adults.

• Dyslexia Advice Line and Discussion Board - 'a useful general discussion forum for parents and teachers.'

• Parenting a child with learning difficulties - provided by LD Online.

Can you help?

If you know of any other books, software, etc., which might be of interest to other dyslexic adults, please put them on our Dyslexia Adults Link Discussion Forum.