My second-grade daughter has dyslexia, and I’ve been advocating for an assistive technology evaluation at her school. Initially, they pushed back. Second grade is too young for kids to use technology, they said. They were concerned that she might grow dependent on it, not learning foundational literacy skills herself because she would be relying on technology to read for her. Seeing peril instead of possibility, they proposed that an adult read aloud to her or dictate for her until she could do it herself.

Assistive Technology: Empowering Independence

But wait a minute... Isn’t learning to use tech independently a better use of her energy than relying on an adult to read to her? Would we avoid imagined dependence by inviting certain dependence? My daughter will not always have an adult beside her to give guidance and instruction. Access to technology, on the other hand, is a given in our digital age. She’s a part of Generation Alpha, and tech savviness is predicted to be one of their generation’s core traits. If she’s given the opportunity to become independently comfortable with these tools now, she can use them for the rest of her educational and professional career.

Breaking Barriers: Empowering Neurodivergent Learners

Some educators worry that assistive technology will inhibit learning. On the contrary, these tools will empower my daughter to access information and produce content at her true cognitive level. This, my friends, is what we want for all students, especially our neurodivergent kiddos. We want them to access grade-level materials – content they can understand but can’t yet decode independently. We want them to express themselves through writing that reflects their true intelligence and imagination, rather than being suppressed by poor spelling skills.

Celebrating Success: Triumph with Assistive Technology

Once my daughter’s school agreed to do the assistive technology evaluation, it took another month for the district’s specialist to assess her. I got a write-up when it was completed, and was a bit overwhelmed by all the tools available to her. I worried my daughter would be overwhelmed too.

She brought her computer home for the first time this week, buzzing with excitement. “I’m going to be the teacher,” she said and showed me all her new read-aloud and dictation features. She helped me log in and use these tools within ten minutes. A teacher indeed. Earlier that day, she had written an entire paragraph about Johnny Appleseed, and instead of feeling frustrated that she couldn’t express what she knew (her consistent experience so far in second grade), she had been able to fully participate with the other students. She kept giggling, looking up at me with the shiniest eyes. So proud of herself.

She and her sister began dictating a funny story, gut laughing throughout, and I taught her how to say the punctuation she wanted at the end of every sentence. It was a delightful experience. And to say that a writing exercise (a self-assigned writing exercise!) for an early elementary student with dyslexia was a delightful experience is no small thing.

Benten, one of Redwood’s students, had a similar experience. You can hear her tell how assistive technology helped her write her first story – and how she is already planning for the sequel!

Requesting an Assistive Technology Evaluation

Take five minutes to individualize the draft below and request an assistive technology evaluation for your student or child. If you are a teacher, you can send this draft home to students’ parents, advising them to request an evaluation. You can also request one directly for any student you believe would benefit from assistive technology. And if you are a parent, you’ve got this. Send this draft to get the process started. It will take some time, but I promise you it will be worth the effort.

Dear (insert child’s name) School Team,

I hope you are well today. I’m reaching out to request an assistive technology evaluation for my child. _____ is struggling to access grade-level content that _____ is ready to cognitively grasp due to gaps in independent foundational literacy skills. In conjunction with working to fill in the gaps in foundational literacy skills, I want to ensure _____ is not missing out on higher-level thinking and expression skills. I am confident that explicit instruction on how to use these digital tools, along with opportunities for applied practice on school work, will directly support my child in achieving academic goals.

I know we are all motivated to ensure ______ is set up for success, and I appreciate your partnership in helping me get this evaluation in place. I’m ready to support you and look forward to hearing from you on the next steps.

Warmly,

(insert your name)

Harnessing Resources: Exploring Bookshare

PS: One next step is checking out Bookshare. Bookshare is a free platform that houses thousands of titles in audio format. It’s an incredible resource for any student who would benefit from hearing text read aloud so they can focus all their cognitive energy on understanding and internalizing what they read. Check out this blog post they wrote about how Redwood Literacy is using Bookshare in our instruction with students.

Seeking Support: Connecting with Dyslexia Resources

If you resonate with this article, google “dyslexia tutoring near me” to find support. Connecting with a knowledgeable professional can be transformative in empowering you with what you need to support your child with dyslexia. Also, reach out to other parents. You can google “dyslexia parent groups near me,” ask around at your child’s school, or attend a local event with dyslexia as its theme. Redwood Literacy and Redwood Schools are also here to help if we can. Please reach out. We’d love to hear from you.

Empowering Our Children's Future

Cheers to assistive technology being one of the positives of living in a digital age. Let’s empower our kids to use it for good.