Making a Difference: Using Inclusive Technology to assist Students with Learning Disabilities and Difficulties

Students with learning disabilities and difficulties have at their disposal a range of inclusive technologies to support their learning.

The emerging research concerning the use of these technologies indicates their use can make a difference to the learning and educational performance of students who struggle with literacy. Technology is increasingly being used to remove barriers to learning and provide access to knowledge and understanding.

This workshop will provide an up-to-date overview of the range of technologies available to support students with reading, writing, research, study and organisation difficulties in upper primary and secondary school settings and beyond. Many of these tools are also of value to students who struggle with their studies because English is not their first language.

Technology in this area changes rapidly and these changes make it difficult to distinguish which tool or combination of tools will best benefit a particular student. The benefits of key features of these technologies, including text to speech, word prediction, portable note taking and alternative digital formats will be discussed. Practical demonstrations will be provided, and recent research in this field will be explored.

Workshop participants will have an updated understanding of where we are at with specialised software and hardware options for supporting students with specific learning disabilities and learning difficulties.
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