5 Must-Have Writing Tools and Learning Software for Dyslexic Students

Dyslexic students and content creators are the perfect examples of not letting your struggles get in the way of doing what you love. And, if you’re one of the millions of people with Dyslexia that struggles with the entire writing process, then you aren’t alone.

To make your lives easier, we’ve hand-picked 5 assistive software programs from our experience that make the process of writing for dyslexic users as stress-free as possible.

1. Grammarly – Best All-Round for Reading, Writing, and Grammar

Grammarly is one of the more well-known tools on this list, and it’s easy to see why!

Grammarly is the most well-known of all the online tools on this list. In the world of proofreading and content editing software, it’s become a household name as one of the most amazing tools and a must-have for anyone who has trouble with spelling. It’s even available on most mobile phones these days in the form of a keyboard.

An excellent place to start is with the free version. The free version has everything you need to create clean, accurate documents for school, work, or anything else that requires writing.

There is also a premium version which offers many features that help improve reading and writing abilities in students with Dyslexia:

• Advanced Grammar Checker
• Plagiarism Checker
• Style and Tone of Voice Checker
• Reading Level Checker

It also provides scoring for reading speed of the average reader. What’s more, it integrates with Google Docs and Google Drive too via a Google Chrome extension!

Sign up for free or go premium with Grammarly today!

2. VoiceIn Plus and Dictanote – Voice-To-Text on Every Website

VoiceIn Plus is a fantastic Chrome extension created by the people over at Dictanote. Like most speech software it translates your voice into text making note-taking much easier than ever before.

Yet, where VoiceIn goes one-step further is that by clicking the extension in the toolbar, you can automatically start using voice-to-text to type in whatever textbox you fancy. In fact, if you use Google Docs or Microsoft Office online within your browser, it’ll work with those too! As long as it’s in your web browser, it’ll save you a huge amount of stress and time.

This also makes it great for people with mobility issues including Arthritis who struggle with traditional typing and rely on a speech tool for the majority of their work.

Its sister app, Dictanote, is more of a traditional voice-to-text note-taking app, with full essay-writing capabilities. Dicatnote Pro now comes with Audio Scribe, an AI-assisted text editor that turns your speech into comprehensive text on-the-fly!

Dictanote is free to try, with voice features available on the paid tier, which is an affordable $3 a month.

3. ProWritingAid – Great for Spelling and Tone of Voice

ProWritingAid is the student-friendly option for writing longer pieces like essays.

ProWritingAid is an all-in-one solution similar to Grammarly. ProWritingAid has a writing and grammar checker for Microsoft Word. It works well with other research and publishing tools, making it so powerful that you can use it every day to make sure your spelling is always correct.

ProWritingAid takes the difficulty out of proofreading: it will automatically catch all spelling errors, grammatical errors, and repetitions. You’ll be able to concentrate on stylistic aspects of your work while ProWritingAid deals with the nuts-and-bolts stuff.

Sign up for free or take advantage of our special 20% discount on ProWritingAid using our exclusive link today!

4. Linguix – Best for Privacy and Non-Native Speakers

Linguix has some great learning tools for non-native Dyslexic students reading and writing, learning letters, and spell check of the English Language. The documents are written in simple English, which is excellent. It also works well with specialist transcription software or dyslexic readers to improve your transcription accuracy.

If you value your privacy and don’t want your editing stored online, Linguix has a “secret mode” where you can check your text without storing it on their servers. This is great for anyone needing that extra peace of mind since tools such as Grammarly store your documents on their servers when you import them into the program.

Linguix is brilliant for anyone with a reading disability. With a built-in plagiarism checker on the roadmap, we’re expecting this to take off in the future – We use it ourselves! You can sign up for Linguix here.

5. Copyleaks – Best Plagiarism Checker for Online Writing

Copyleaks is a powerful tool for anyone posting content online. It’s a dedicated plagiarism detection service. It helps you catch instances where you may have accidentally used someone else’s work.

This is an essential issue for any writer. Still, for many dyslexic children and adults in education, it’s easy to miss any accidental plagiarism that may occur from using AI or accessibility tools, so it can prevent any unwanted stress down the line.

Copyleaks scans the internet and finds any work similar to yours. Then, it compares it to your original document line-by-line for any text that matches, making it great for adults or children with Dyslexia who struggle with comprehension and are worried about plagiarism.

As a bonus, Copyleaks’ search engine brings up results from both paid and free pages. So, if you are using the cost-free version of Grammarly without a plagiarism checker, then Copyleaks is a good companion.

You can sign up to Copyleaks for free, with a paid tier should you require more intense usage.

Difficulties With Writing

Whether you are one of the millions of dyslexic students or a dyslexic professional, writing is stressful and challenging at the best of times. And, though work and school are getting better at providing assistive technology tools for people with disabilities, we are far from where we need to be.

But having confidence in these affordable writing tools opens up a world of new writing strategies and gives you the strength to create new visionary content. You’ll find in no time your writing skills aren’t hindering you, but putting you on a level playing field that frees up your mind to do what you do best.

Keep clicking for tons of tech tips for the 21st century classroom and learn more about the struggles of being a neurodivergent student!

FAQ

How can dyslexia software help individuals with dyslexia?

Dyslexia software is specifically designed to assist individuals with dyslexia in overcoming the challenges they face when reading and writing. These software programs come equipped with a range of features that cater to the unique needs of dyslexic individuals, making it easier for them to comprehend text, process information, and produce written content. Here are some ways in which dyslexia software can help:

1. Text-to-speech functionality: Dyslexia software often includes a text-to-speech feature that reads aloud the text on the screen. This can be immensely helpful for dyslexic individuals who struggle with reading fluency and decoding words. By listening to the text being read aloud, they can better understand and retain the information.

2. Speech-to-text functionality: Many dyslexia software programs also offer speech-to-text functionality, allowing users to dictate their thoughts and ideas instead of having to type them. This feature can be a game-changer for dyslexic individuals who struggle with spelling and writing. They can simply speak their content, and the software will convert it into written text.

3. Dyslexia-friendly fonts: Dyslexic individuals often find it difficult to read text that is displayed in traditional fonts. Dyslexia software offers a variety of dyslexia-friendly fonts that make reading easier. These fonts are specifically designed to alleviate the common reading errors and visual distortions experienced by dyslexic individuals, such as letter reversals and spacing issues.

What other support is available for dyslexia at work or school?

In addition to dyslexia software, there are several other supports and accommodations available for individuals with dyslexia at work or school. These include:

1. Assistive technology devices: Apart from dyslexia software, there are a range of assistive technology devices that can support dyslexic individuals in their work or school environment. This may include tools like electronic spell-checkers, digital organizers, and smart pens. These devices can help dyslexic individuals with tasks such as note-taking, organizing their thoughts, and ensuring accurate spelling.
2. Accommodations in the classroom or workplace: Dyslexic individuals may be eligible for certain accommodations in their educational or work setting. This can include things like extended time on tests, access to assistive technology, or preferential seating in the classroom. These accommodations aim to level the playing field and provide the necessary support for dyslexic individuals to succeed.
3. Multisensory learning approaches: Many dyslexic individuals benefit from multisensory learning approaches, which engage multiple senses in the learning process. This can include techniques like using manipulatives, incorporating movement into lessons, or using visual aids to support comprehension. These approaches can be particularly effective in helping dyslexic individuals with reading and writing tasks.
4. Dyslexia tutoring or specialized instruction: Dyslexic individuals can benefit greatly from working with a dyslexia tutor or receiving specialized instruction that is tailored to their needs. These tutors are trained in specific techniques and strategies for supporting dyslexic individuals and can provide targeted instruction to help improve reading fluency, decoding skills, and writing abilities.