Reading machines for students with LD

By Marshall Raskind, Ph.D.

What's new in the world of research related to children with learning and attention difficulties? In this summary of current peer-reviewed research, Marshall Raskind, Ph.D., shares his expert perspective in practical terms for parents like you.

The use of optical character recognition (OCR) systems combined with speech synthesis (computer-generated speech) has become increasingly accepted as a means of compensating for reading disabilities. These OCR systems, or reading machines, convert printed text to spoken language so the user can hear and see written words. These technologies are now marketed internationally (for example, WYNN^®, Kurzweil 3000^®), commonly found in assistive technology centers serving individuals with learning disabilities, frequently exhibited at LD conferences, generally considered in assistive technology evaluations for students with LD, and regularly discussed in publications on LD and assistive technology.

As OCR systems continue to gain popularity as a compensatory tool for children with reading difficulties, it is important for parents to know whether scientific studies support their use. Furthermore, parents need to be aware that selecting specific technologies for their children is dependent on the individual child, the task to be performed, and the setting in which it is to be used. Hopefully, this article will shed light on these issues by reviewing research on the use OCR combined with synthetic speech for persons with reading disabilities.

OCR systems are generally desktop computers combined with full-page scanners. Users scan in printed documents (e.g., pages from books) in much the same way a copier is used. The printed text is automatically changed to electronic text that is then read aloud by a built-in speech synthesizer. The text is displayed on the computer monitor while the system reads the words aloud. OCR systems often include features that allow the user to "customize" the system for individual preferences including speech rate, pitch, volume, simultaneous highlighting of spoken text, font size/style, as well as background and text color. These systems may also include additional features such as study, writing, and Internet tools.

Fortunately, the acceptance of OCR as a viable assistive technology for LD is based on both a strong theoretical framework, as well as several studies directly investigating the technology's efficacy in compensating for the reading difficulties experienced by individuals with LD. The idea that converting text to speech may help reading comprehension is suggested from research in reading disabilities. Numerous studies have shown that students with reading disabilities have a particularly difficult time with word recognition, especially phonological processing (associating the sounds of language with letters or letter combinations) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).

Difficulties with phonological processing may, in turn, affect reading comprehension. So much effort may be spent on decoding individual words that there may be little mental energy left for comprehension (9, 10, 11, 12). Although phonological awareness may be poor, there is also evidence that individuals with reading disabilities often exhibit no apparent difficulties in understanding spoken language (13, 14). Considering that persons with LD have difficulty with decoding print, yet may not have difficulty with oral language, it is not difficult to see how OCR systems that convert printed text to the spoken word might enhance reading comprehension.