Reading and Writing

Also related to communication processes, reading and writing has always played an important role in a CP child`s education. This is especially important for those children with severe multiple disabilities since literacy represents their best hope for participation in the broader society.

Participation requires communication and for the severely speech impaired, communication requires either written language or the use of communication devices that take the place of human speech, devices most frequently requiring a literate user (Blackstone & Cassatt-James, 1988; Koppenhaver, Coleman, Kalman, & Yoder, 1991).[3]

In this area we will be considering inexpensive, yet effective low tech solutions for writing like wrist splints, clip boards, positioning pads or velcro tabs used to keep them in place,

Also important can be separate applications for PC, like word prediction software, for example, that reduces the number of keystrokes an individual has to make[4]. Ebooks, online reading, OCR, vice recognition and prediction and many other technical options will also be under the scope of this part of the module.

Adapted books

Computers with screen readers and synthetic speech

Devices with Braille output

Specially dedicated software

Magnification devices (Zooming)

OCR reading machines

tactile displays

Braille writers and embossers