Reading+Supports

Students who have difficulty reading might benefit from alternative-format texts. NIMAS, National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard, is a technical standard used to develop accessible specialized formats of print instructional files (e.g., braille, audio, digital, large-print). NIMAC, National Instructional Materials Access Center, was established by IDEA 2004, section 674(e), as a national repository to collect and store NIMAS files. Visit [|Bookshare] to access textbooks in alternate formats.

When a team is deciding whether accessible instructional materials are necessary for a student with reading difficulties, they should consider **SETT** :
 * Does the **S** tudent need instructional materials in specialized formats to access the curriculum and receive a free, appropriate, public education?
 * In which **E** nvironments will specialized materials be used?
 * For which **T** asks will the student require materials in which specialized format?
 * What **T** ools will the student and others need? (Marfilius, S. 2008)

These are a few of the questions to consider when assessing a student’s need for assistive technology:
 * Is this student currently reading standard or modified curriculum?
 * Does the student need assistance in reading in the classroom?
 * When the student uses the Internet, can he/she read web sites, wikis, blogs?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Does the student have a need to read electronic text?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Does the student employ effective reading strategies or needs prompting to do so?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">What strategies and cues does the student use to enhance comprehension?

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are a quite a few of assistive technology tools available to help students who struggle with reading. While each type of tool works a little differently, all of these tools help facilitate decoding, reading fluency, and/or comprehension.

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">For more information**:** ////<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">PDF file: [|Chapter 7 – //Assistive Technology// for //Reading//] // //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Power Point Presentation about Reading from WATI [|Ch7-Reading.ppt] //

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Audio books and publications

 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Audible.com
 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bookshare
 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kurzweil 3000™ Literacy and Reading Programs
 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Recorded Books on PlayAway
 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D)
 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">National Library Service.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Optical character recognition

 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">WYNN™ Literacy Software Solution
 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kurzweil 3000™
 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kurzweil 3000™ USB Port/Flash Drive
 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Intel Reader
 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">KNFB
 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Quicktionary Reading Pen

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Paper-based computer pen

 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Echo Smartpen by Livescribe

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Speech synthesizers/screen readers

 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">ClassMate Reader
 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Read and Write Gold (integrates multiple AT techniques)
 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Read and Write Gold Mobile
 * <span class="darktext" style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Write:OutLoud®
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Adobe Digital Editions –
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">CAST Learning Tools -
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">[|JAWS]-
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">[|Microsoft Reader Software]-
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Readplease -