Text to Speech Programs

Student Needs	IPRC Exceptionalities	Diagnosed Conditions
Aggression Management Anger/Frustration Management Anxiety Management Articulation Skills Attendance Strategies Attention Skills Assistive Technology Skills Blind/Vision Impaired Bullying Management Skills Central Auditory Processing Deafness Depression/Sadness Management Disengagement/Motivation Strategies Eating Disorder Strategies Emotional Regulation English Language Skills Executive Function Fine Motor Skills Gambling Disorder Grief Management Gross Motor Skills Hearing Intellectual Ability – High Intellectual Ability – Low Listening Comprehension Skills Low Vision Memory Skills Mental Health Strategies Metacognitive Skills Mobility Skills Non-Verbal Reasoning Organizational Skills Personal Care Personal Safety Phonological Processing Processing Speed Self-Advocacy Skills Self-Esteem Self-Harm/Suicide Management Self-Regulatory Skills Sensory Integration Skills Sequencing Skills Social Skills Substance Abuse Strategies Task Initiation Time Management Skills Transition Skills Verbal Ability Visual-Motor Skills Visual-Spatial Processing	Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Behaviour Blind and Low Vision Deaf and Hard of Hearing Developmental Disability (DD) Giftedness Language Impairment Learning Disabilities (LD) Mild Intellectual Disabilities Multiple Exceptionalities Physical Disability Speech Impairment	Acquired Brain Injury Alcohol-Related Neuro-developmental Disorder (ARND) Angelman Syndrome Anxiety Disorders Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Auditory Processing Disorder (Central) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Bipolar Disorder Blind/Vision Impaired Brain Injury Cerebral Palsy (CP) Conduct Disorder (CD) Concussions Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Deafness Depression Disorders Down Syndrome Eating Disorders Epilepsy Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE) Fragile X Syndrome Gambling Disorder Intellectual Disabilities Klinefelter's Syndrome Learning Disabilities/Specific Learning Disorders Muscular Dystrophy (MD) Neurological Disabilities Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTS) Prader-Willi Syndrome Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) Seizure Disorders Selective Mutism Spina Bifida Tourette Syndrome Turner Syndrome (TS) Usher Syndrome William's Syndrome

Key Special Education Practices
Accommodations Alternative Programming Assistive Technology Board Special Education Plans Community Resources Differentiated Instruction Create an Inclusive & Positive Class Climate Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) Individual Education Plan (IEP) Ministry of Education Resources Modified Programming Non-teacher Professional Assessments Teacher Assessments Safety/Emergency/Crisis Response Plan Professional Development Reporting on IEP Progress Tracking/Documenting Transition Plans

Characteristics notebook pencil

Using a computer, laptop, tablet or cell phone, text to speech (TTS) programs convert texts of various types (Word documents, Web pages, scanned PDF documents, emails, etc.) into audio, so that the listener hears what is written. Sometimes it’s referred to as a screen reader and students often use headphones when using TTS programs in class settings. TTS is easy to use and often highlights the words as it reads them. Users can adjust settings to select various voices that read to them, the reading speed and can pause and restart at any time. TTS includes many helpful options for students like a “find” feature, which is helpful for answering questions and to insert text boxes directly into the text to input their written answers. TTS is a common accommodation on IEPs and an allowed accommodation for EQAO testing.
TTS can benefit all students, including struggling and fluent readers, by increasing attention to the text and comprehension. As an indication to the global benefits of TTS, some Ontario Colleges have purchased TTS software for their entire student body and faculty.

What it is

A type of assistive technology program that reads electronic written text aloud to support increased learning and independence.

Strategies

• Directly instruct students on how to use available text to speech programs.

• Model effective strategies for learning, as teachers learn new programs along with students.

• Use TTS regularly as part of whole class instructional lessons for various subjects, using a projector.

• Consider developing or providing basic instructions on how to access and get started on using the programs.

• Regularly require the use of TTS programs for all students in various subject areas.

• Ensure use of TTS for students with it listed as an accommodation in their IEP, for all reading tasks.

• Conference with small groups on the use of TTS.

• Select student leaders to mentor other students on TTS.

• Consider doing a trial of testing students’ comprehension of a text without TTS and then with TTS.

• Provide students with free down load information for home use of TTS.

• Inform parents of TTS programs and their benefits.

• Access school and board supports for additional resources and training on TTS.

Resources

• Dyslexia and Benefits of Text to Speech Software	• Glossary for other Special Education and Assistive Technology Terms:
• Google Read and Write	• Kurzweil Demo Video on how to use highlighting to study
• Kurzweil Demo Video with instructions on how to get started	• Kurzweil Free Trial
• Kurzweil Overview Video	• Natural Reader Free Trial
• Natural Readers Text to Speech Demo Video	• Neospeech with Demo
• Overview of Various Text to Speech Programs	• Read and Write Gold Overview Video from Georgian College
• Supporting Struggling Readers – From Ontario’s Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat	• Text to Speech Software Downloads of various programs
• TTS Overview by Ontario’s SNOW – Overview and resources for Windows, Mac and free downloads

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Text to Speech Programs