Games can play a vital role in the training of a person to use a computer, especially in the home. Many teaching games are available, but not for the adult, who once again is not a recognised sufferer. LOGO (an essential program according to Vera Quinn (1986)), helps relationships of movement of an object (a turtle) on the computer screen via the keyboard, to actual physical movements, and teaches geometry by the understanding of direction, numbers and angles.

Types of computers and applications

For the purpose of the investigation, the type of computer was considered, and it was concluded that only IBM compatible PC's would be tested, as until the launch of the Apple IMAX, most personal computers in use in the home and business were IBM compatible. It was decided to concentrate on standard application packages that could be standardised over all users. It was therefore decided to choose word-processing, and WordPerfect and MS Word in particular. Both packages are in operation and functionality similar, but have been mentioned as those in the sample group used both systems.

Due to logistics and timing it was found difficult to arrange a focus group interview of the sample dyslexics, therefore individual interviews were conducted.

It was found that mature sufferers of dyslexia using computing, had not been taught in school to help overcome their problem, all their solutions to overcome the dyslexia were self taught.

Hardware

No specific hardware was found to be available for dyslectic sufferers of an adult age, but plenty for children. Normal equipment available to the general public and commerce can be used successfully. These include :-

    · worktop PC's
    · portable PC's
    · PIM's (Personal Information Management) e.g.
            3COM's Pilot, Psion Series 5. Apple Newton
    · Franklin Spell Checker

Computer screens can help in the recognition of words, and can be adapted to individual needs. It has been found that some dyslexics find that the glare of a white page with black print makes the letters and words shimmer or move, become indistinct, (see Case 2 tinted glasses). It is possible to reduce the glare, brightness and contrast of the computer screen, and change the background colour to suit the individual.

Keyboards remove the problems of hand-eye co-ordination which could be present in a dyslexic using pen and paper, as the visual representation of the letter no longer has to be remembered, or how letters are to be joined together. With the advent of the ergonomic keyboard, some users find the keyboard even easier to use. Sten Cummins (Case 3) reports that his hands do not cross over as they do on a standard keyboard.

The environment should be non-confrontational, and with adequate lighting. The seating arrangements should allow the user to be open and comfortable.

MS Windows 95/98 settings

Continuing on the computer screen, it is possible to increase the letter/font size again to ease recognition of the text, and as in the a paragraph above, change the colour of the font itself. Through the operating system set-up, the individual PC can be adapted as to the screen layout through the Control Panel, Accessibility Options and Display settings. By entering the Accessibility Options screen and choosing the "Display" option, it is possible to change the contrast settings to white letters on a black background, black letters on a white background or to find a colour combination to suit the user. Also it is possible to control the size of the font to become larger.

Software

A number of application software providers were contacted, to ascertain if their software was applicable and could be used by dyslexia sufferers. All reported that they had nothing they could offer, nor had been approached by persons suffering from dyslexia before.

Companies approached included :- (taped conversations available on request)
     Microsoft Ltd tel (UK)0345 002000
     Sage Accounting tel (UK)0191 255 3000
     Fontware Ltd tel (UK)01329 221121.

The above companies were particularly singled out, as the type of products they produced where typically used in an office environment.

Microsoft Limited produce computer operating systems, such as Windows 95, 98, NT, which is the front door, or access point any computer a user has to use to use an IBM compatible PC. Other interface programs Microsoft produce include Explorer 5 to access the Internet. Also from Microsoft comes application software, such as word-processing, in the form of Word, spreadsheet in the form of Excel, and other widely used packages, which are market leaders in each of their fields.

Their spokesperson reported after checking with his technical department that they "offer no help what so ever for dyslexics".

Sage Accounting is the premier supplier of accounting and payroll software in the UK for use on PC's in small to medium sized companies. Their Advice line was approached, and reported that they had not been approached by any persons with special needs like dyslexia, nor had they had any feed back from their distributors or resellers of any problems.

Fontware Limited is the leading supplier of add-on fonts, character sets for specialist applications or standard word-processors. The technical department reported that they had not been approached by anyone prior to my contact, and thus had not investigated the problem. They were very interested in pursuing the problem should a requirement be found.

Word-processors

Recent offerings of word-processors have helped the task of placing word on paper, but have introduced distracting facilities. Vera Quinn says that a persons own free writing is liberated from the core of handwriting, with all the slow troubles of letter formation, letter size, rubbing or crossing out, and so drearily on and on.

After overcoming the fear of attempting to write via the keyboard, the subjects where able to type their words into the computer. It has been found that subjects who have been able to touch type rather than key in with two fingers, progressed more, but this ability has and is still not being widely taught to the adult population.

Computer word-processors remove the need to complete rewrite after rewrite to correct typical mistakes a dyslexic makes, and places the sufferer on the same playing field as non sufferers in their ability to produce well structured work.

Within the modern word-processor, there are many tools to help users, and especially the dyslexic. These being the :-
    · spell checker
    · thesaurus
    · grammar checker
    · auto correct

Spell checker

Poor spelling is often a common trait in a dyslexic, be it transposition of characters or poor recall of the word. A spell checker is perhaps the most important tool in the dyslexic armoury. It will provide confidence that the writer needs to be sure that the final document is error free.

Many spelling tests have been devised to test for dyslexia and it was L. Cook in Bulletin of the Orton Society that said "misspellings are regarded as a better source of information than correct spelled word.", and Miles stated that "bizarre spelling is a common characteristic of a dyslexic person.

Such spellings given by Miles were :-

    inconsistent spelling in the same writing
             schule skchool school
     wrong syllabification, too many or not enough syllables
             sundly for suddenly or rember for remember
     wrong letter doubled
             piil for pill or eeg for egg
     letters reversed
             tac for cat

many more examples are available, but it is often the work of a spell checker to check for such errors.

Using MS Word Windows 95 I misspelt remoter. The word-processor highlighted the error and when entered again but allowed the spell checker to correct it became remember. The problem was that it also came up with :-
     ember
     member
     rumba
     remoter

so a dyslexic would be presented with too many alternatives.

Different spell checkers have differing characteristics.

     1. every time a word is spelt incorrectly, a bleep is sounded.
         This can be very distracting to the writer, as it can detract
         from the flow of the words, and be intrusive.
         Most spell checkers highlight the error for future correction.
     2. spell checkers that correct were they can on the fly, as the
         incorrect word is finished, i.e. recieved is automatically
        change to received.
     3. Incorrect words are not highlighted, but a spell checker is
         run at the end of completion of the document, and corrections made.
     4. spell checker that include phonetic spelling that can predict
         a word after a few characters have be typed in.
     5. lately there are talking spell checkers.
     6. commonly misspelt words auto correct to the correct spelling
     7. words not contained in the supplied spell checker can be added.

Spell checkers do have their limitations to a dyslexic writer. Often a dyslexic will use a word that sounds the same as the correct word which should have been used, known as homophones, does not pick up words used inappropriately for example, two too to, or where and were.

Grammar checkers

This type of checker for the dyslexic will pick up mistakes such as misplaces upper and lower case letters. It will correct the starting letter of a sentence. If word-processor identifies a sentence that contains possible grammar or style errors, it may display the sentence it thinks it should do to the writer to accept or reject.

Other checks a grammar checker can make are duplicate words, useful if the writer has a tendency to stutter.

You can replace different linguistic forms of words with the appropriate forms of your replacement words. For example, you can replace "sit" with "stand" and at the same time replace "sitting" with "standing," "sat" with "stood," and so on.

Thesaurus

Many dyslexics use words they think are correct but are used out of context or are the wrong word completely.

A thesaurus in a word-processor can be given a word for which the writer requires to find a synonym, an antonym, or related words. By using this facility the dyslexic can choose a wider range of words, which will make the document more fluent and readable.

By typing in the word "readable" into the thesaurus, the word-processor came up with the following :-

meaning :- comprehensible (adj.)

entertaining (adj.)
     replace with :- comprehensible
     coherent
     clear
     fathomable
     explicit
     graphic
     intelligible.
now the writer has meaning and alternate words he can use.

Word predictor

This is not often provided in word-processors, but was originally created for handicapped people.

The word predictor, will upon the entry of the first or second letter of a word, predict what the word will be. Therefore say a letters "ca" are entered a list of word could be displayed such as :-
     carpet
     cat
     catapult
     caterpillar

the writer can choose the word at any time he requires, but carry-on entering in characters. So he enters a "t" giving "cat", the list will eliminate "carpet".

The writer now enters the character "a", which will eliminate all words from the list except "catapult.

VAS - voice activated word-processing

The advent of voice activated word-processing and other computer voice activated systems are in their infancy, although being developed in the early 1980's (I installed the technology as an employee with Texas Instruments in 1985 in Saudi Arabia), VAS (voice recognition on a voice activated system) is a useful support tool for all sufferers of dyslexia. It is especially useful if used in conjunction with a screen reader described below. Judith Stansfield, SEN ICT Consultant REM.

I installed VoiceType Pro voice recognition system on a computer successfully using MS Word as the word-processing engine, and after I trained the system to my voice patterns, obtained reasonable results, (estimated at 80% correct recognition).

Training the system to my voice took some considerable time (five hours), although using the correct microphone as supplied, the recognition system did not accept my voice input on all first attempts. The position of the microphone had to be consistent, as with the ambience of the room. Background noise from the main road traffic outside the window varied during the day, and it was noted that the recognition varied in-line, as the volume of traffic increased for the worse.

Not being used to the normal headset containing a boom microphone and an ear peace speaker, I experimented using a Philips handheld microphone with an on off switch, and playing back the computer generated speech via the computer speakers.

Introducing the new microphone required retraining the computer to my voice, holding the microphone in a constant position in front of my mouth, but now I found that I gained freedom of movement. If the telephone rang I only had to turn the microphone off and place it on the desk. Using the headset, I had to issue a verbal instruction saying "stop dictation", await the computer to reply "dictation stopped", take the headset off, and then answer the telephone. The reverse was also true on resumption of dictation. Using the external speakers interfered with other workers in the locality, but in the home caused little problems.

Actual dictation to the computer needed learning. It was not intuitive nor allowed normal speech. Each word had to be spoken signally, with a slight gap between each word. The speech had to be in mono tone, with little or no rise or lowering of the tone voice say with a command or question sentence. I would have liked to experiment with a tonal language such as Cantonese, where the same word with differing tonal inflections result in very different meanings.

To use the system, it is required to know the construction of a sentence. It is up to the person dictating the work to introduce the paragraphs, commas, full stops, question marks, open inverted commas, close inverted commas, etc. On questioning a dyslexic on their own understanding the construction of an English sentence, they were happy with their knowledge and could cope, but felt that their lack of understanding in the past at school may have some bearing.

The finished work still required visual checking once dictation had stopped. This action had a number of purposes :-
     1. to check grammar
     2. to check the correct usage of words
     3. to format the work correctly
     4. to teach the system new words
         (this was a cumbersome process)

The computer I used was a Pentium II 300Mhz processor, with 64MB of memory, 8GigB hard disk, Creative Labs AWE 64 Gold sound card.

As my experiments proceeded, more words had to be taught to the system, being specialist, technical words, place names and peoples? names. As time went by, the system improved, but did have the following drawbacks,
     1. produced some words out of context i.e. too, to, two
     2. it produced best guessed words if the actual word not in its' vocabulary
     3. the work still had to be proof read, formatted and edited.
     4. I was distracted by the errors appearing on the screen as I proceeded
     5. the speech required for recognition was un-natural,
         with the words being mono tone and distinct.
     6. I had to know the construct of an English sentence.

Advantages of the system, was that it was fast, and took all the benefits of standard word-processors, i.e. spell checkers, thesaurus, grammar checker, and contextual analysis.

No true dyslexic was available to test the system, as time to teach the system could not be found, nor could an available computer be allocated for testing purposes for a long enough period. The VAS system did prove unworkable to a person wishing to write another of his books, who had no typing or word-processing skills, and also had a lisp. He (Mr A. J. Cohen) has continued to dictate his work to a Dictaphone for an audio typist to transpose.

J. Elkind and J. Shrager (1995) wrote that speech recognition is less effective than expected in compensating to the dyslexic person, and suggest that there is much to learn from observing the interaction and collaborative setting which a writer is working with a human typist.

Text Speakers

Various software solutions allow a dyslexic sufferer to "read" an article, by the software actually speaking the words for them.

Creative Labs offer TextReader and Text Assist distributed with their AWE64 Gold software. Text can be read by the system using various preloaded American voices. Unfortunately, as with all voice synthesisers, the reproduced voices were very computerised and monotone.

Other software available as screen readers or TextHelp and Penfriend. TextHelp will read any text in any MS Windows application including menus, highlighting the text as it is spoken, with or without animated characters. Penfriend is a predictive typer, as it is able to predict words before they are typed giving suggestions and again when reading from documents, highlighting each word to assist in comprehension.

My Word is an interactive tool "for all ages" but essentially to the age of 14. Using modules, objects or packs which can be linked together in a pin-board effect, stories or articles can be put together. This package is said to be useful to place diagrams in maths and other subjects.

For numeracy, MathsBook stimulates the user in calculations with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, with practice and confidence building. But where a calculator is required, and the dyslexic needs audio feedback not given by the standard calculator within MS Windows, then Interactive Calculator is suitable. Although aimed at the student, its ability to give audio feedback is a gain.

Planning and organisation

As stated, a dyslexic often has a planning and organisational disability. Software developed for the dyslexic is Inspiration. This is a creative planing and brainstorming tool with powerful diagrammatical views allowing ideas to be view visually. It can be used to jot down ideas and thus organise them into coherent mindmaps to produced reports.

Where a dyslexic requires that the planning or organisational information needs to be portable, various solutions are available, and are less childlike in there use and appearance.

A Cambridge organisation offers pocket bleepers, which via their computer system, will remind a user to do actions at specific times. This system was used by The Children's Trust at Tadworth, Surrey, from where I was approached by Mr John Nuth. John had a problem with a person with short memory span retention, who required his day planned for him, a typical problem for severe dyslexic sufferers. As dyslexics can recognise graphics, I used a 3COM Pilot to display an analogue clock. John Nuth was able to plan the patients day out on his PC computer loaded with Pilot PIM software, and then downloaded via a HotSync facility to the patients' Pilot. At the appointed, a musical alarm would go off on the table mounted Pilot with the analogue clock flashing, and a description as to what the patient had to do.

For the less severe sufferer of dyslexia, various computer packages are available, from the renowned Lotus Organiser, to Microsoft Scheduler to use on a PC. These software packages are all very well if the sufferer is constantly at the desk, but where the information is required for all day use and away from the PC, then 3COM offer the Pilot, and Psion offer their handheld organiser. Other manufactures offer PIM's or organisers, for example, Casio and Sharp, but the Pilot and the Psion highlight the contrasts and uses of the PIM's.

It is assumed for this exercise that the dyslexic, can read the information contained or displayed upon the screen readout, but if the dyslexic does have reading difficulty, especially with the handheld but not the PC software, the handheld can act as an aide memoir. Both systems can interface to a PC to be synchronised with information entered into both the PC and the handheld since the last update.

The Psion has a small keyboard with small lettering to enter details into the unit, whereas the Pilot uses a handwriting recognition system called Graffiti to enter details to the unit. This method of entering data to the system requires the user to learn a new character set (see attached sample in appendix ????), which for a non dyslexic takes about twenty minutes, and with continued practice, Graffiti becomes intuitive. Both systems have alarm functions to alert the user that there is something to do.

I considered the Apple Newton MessagePad 120/2000 handheld computer, which in operation is very similar to the 3COM Pilot, and in its? own right a very powerful machine, with communication facilities to the internet, fax and computer. The MessagePad was dismissed as although it does not have a keyboard and uses extensive graphics suitable to a dyslexic, it relies on input via a touch sensitive screen, where the user writes in cursive or italic script any entries.

People who have motor co-ordination problems are sometimes labelled perceptually or minimally handicapped, clumsy, experiencing learning difficulties or dyspraxic. (Alston and Taylor, 1987). Dyslexia is a learning problem which affects the motor skills for handwriting, controlling the pen to paper. Handwriting when learnt is an automatic skill in non dyslexic people, it is a skill never learnt to become automatic by the dyslexic. Chasty (1995). It is for this reason I have not included the Apple MessagePad, as a dyslexic would have difficulty in entering details.

Remediation and skill acquisition

As with other offerings for software, most are aimed at the school aged dyslexic. Dyslexic have the need to work extra hard to acquire the skills to remediate the weaknesses they have. For repetition work, computer programs offer a variety of solutions, taking the sufferer at his own pace, and offering feedback, albeit on a non human level, but one that does not recriminate.

Speaking Starspell recommended by the British Dyslexia Association, offers a spoken English (non American) voice, which it uses to draw attention to how words are built so that the dyslexic can apply knowledge to their writing.

Numbershark can be used for numeracy, and Alex Wilkinson a SEN teacher says that it offer a wide range of games covering maths in an exciting and unpatronising way, with its well designed and unsophisticated graphics.

Word-processors

Clicker3 is a word-processor that speaks text, and is regarded as the standard for pupils with special needs, (Jill Reagan, AU Magazine), and was a BETT 99 award winner. This system uses graphics and sound to create and support writing, with an on-screen keyboard. For an adult, this system is too childlike, and would not be appropriate in an office environment.

Inclusive writer is aimed at users from 4 to adult, but primarily children, and is a fully functional word-processor with symbol processor or rebus (picture) features. Therefore a user can either write in images or words or both. The rebus system can be used to prepare work, but the final copy can be produced just in words. Using images, writers can identify that they have incorrectly spelt a word, the past tense of a verb, or turned an adjective into a adverb. Anna James a learning support teacher of the Norfolk Education Psychological Service, has stated it contained a range of aids to help low literacy pupils with server and complex needs. REM (1999).

Computer Telephony

With the advent of the internet, communication has become quicker and easier. Letter writing can be a bore and a task for those with dyslexia. In an office environment but more so in the home, communication is important.

Many companies offer video conferencing, meaning that two people or a group of people can communicate over telephone lines, leased, private or public, with voice, characters/writing/chat, and live pictures. These products can be very expensive in the purchase of software and hardware, plus the cost of the communication line. I therefore looked at alternatives.

A number of systems are available to the general and corporate communities for free, (download address?s in appendix), and these include, but is not restricted to :-
     · Microsoft NetMeeting
     · Milabilis ICQ
     · IDT Net2Phone
     · MediaRing Talk 99

The latter two IDT Net2Phone and MediaRing Talk 99 are pure audio telephony communications, which allow the callers to talk as if on a telephone, but at the cost of a local call. This is achieved by using the internet, which requires access to an ISP (internet service provider), via a computer.

Software to access the internet is supplied by the ISP usually free of charge, i.e. BTInternet (UK) 0800 800 001, which will also include a WEB browser either MS Explorer or Netscape Navigator. Charges to access the internet vary according to the service required from the ISP, and can be free of charge, i.e. FreeServe, screamer from Tempo, per minute charges i.e. CompuServe, AOL, or a flat fee charge per month, i.e. BTInternet, CableINET. The ISP will supply a local telephone number to access the internet. Some ISP's give this number as a free phone number.

Once loaded the user will download the appropriate communication software as outlined above, load the programs, and register with the vendor?s server, which could be anywhere in the World, but contact to them via the internet and the local telephone number into the ISP. After a successful link has been establish, and the person to be communicated with, found, voice transfer can proceed.

Unlike normal telephony where direct physical contact is made, i.e. two wires actually connect the callers, (not so in practice with the use of micro wave transmissions and satellite use), the internet does not establish a direct connection. As voice/audio is received by the senders computer, it is broken down digitally into packets of information or blocks of data. These packets are sent across the internet to the recipients computer and reassembled. This all takes time, and there is a resultant delay, which can be very difficult to adjust to at first.

To keep the amount of data to a minimum to be sent across the internet, only part of the audio frequency is digitised, very similar to single sideband transmissions used by radio broadcasters. The resultant voice received when reproduced on the recipients computer can sound somewhat like a Micky Mouse character.

Taking this technology further, ICQ gives users the ability to contact each other as above, but rather than using voice or audio, uses chat mode or message transfer. Chat mode is very similar to voice except that the users use the keyboard to type the conversation, which is displayed on the screen virtually instantaneously.

Although this may seem the wrong mode for a dyslexic, my research has led me to the belief that this mode is good for sufferers, as convention has it that shorthand or abbreviations can be used. Example of this are :-
     u = you
     r = are
and spelling mistakes are accept readily.

Going even further, MS NetMeeting allows the users to not only have message transfer, live chat, voice/audio, but also video links. For a video link to be established one or more will have to purchase a small inexpensive camera, for example Connectix QuickCam from Logitec.

Although this is not television quality video, with screen refresh taking seconds, thus giving a very jerky movement, the facilities outlined above, allows the dyslexic to communicate on a one to one, one to many on a more even level.

Simulation Games

There are many simulation games available on the market today, which use creative graphics that a dyslexic usually finds no difficulty with, in fact as the subject David (case 2) proves, they have a better understanding and view of them. These games can expand the users creativity, and educational development.

Simulations can emulate such activities as flying an aircraft, which will train the user in three dimensional perspective, managing the safety of the aircraft whilst reading the instrumentation. Vera Quinn (1988) cites complicated exercises used in the higher reaches of university education: for instance how, in a given time and on a given budget, to eradicate malaria from an imaginary landscape, using various insecticides, taking into consideration differing climactic changes, teaching thinking processes, collaborative actions, cause and effect and decision making skills.

Fantasy games like Dungeons and Dragons, War of The Words are fun and hold the dyslexic's interest, whilst involving them in role-play and teaching planning and using calculations to determine how far they can continue with the game with the resources they have.

The simplest game to teach co-ordination, strategy, and planning, is Solitaire from Microsoft, which is given free of charge with the MS Windows operating system. It is a game which uses the mouse pointer, which some dyslexics prefer to use, possible due to the graphical display, and teaches hand-eye co-ordination. It is a game I introduce all first time users to computing to, dyslexic or not, as the mouse is perhaps one of the most important interfaces to the computer, and once learnt in terms of HCI most intuitive.

Suppliers of Software

It was found that very little software was available to the adult dyslexic. A search of educational software revealed virtually no suitable help, even from the major provider of software REM of Langport, Somerset. All available software within their brochure was aimed at the child, to teach eye hand co-ordination, spelling, numeracy, problem solving.

Sample of Dyslexic Persons

A sample of people suffering from dyslexia was found to be very limited. Approaches were made to differing societies, but these tended to cater for young children. It was stated by a senior manager of Waterstones Bookshops that there is no literature on adult dyslexia, as it is presumed that such a condition is caught at an early age, and treated at that stage. Since this condition has only been recognised in recent years, there are a lot of undiagnosed sufferers out there.

Contacts were mainly found through personal contact, and those willing to participate were questioned and tested.