Word Processing with Speech Synthesis and Word Prediction: Effects on the Dialogue Journal Writing of Students with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Five students, ages 9 and 10, with learning disabilities and severe writing problems wrote in dialogue journals to their teacher. They used a standard word processor during baseline phases and a word processor with speech synthesis and word prediction features during treatment phases. The special features had a strong effect on the legibility and spelling of written dialogue journal entries for four of the five students. During baseline, the writing of these four students ranged from 55% to 85% legible words and 42% to 75% correctly spelled words. All four increased their percentage of both legible and correctly spelled words into the 90–100% range.