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If there’s one thing teaching special education has taught me, it’s that the best tech is the tech that just works without making a child feel singled out.
For my classroom, Microsoft Immersive Reader has been an absolute lifesaver. I have a student with severe dyslexia who used to completely shut down whenever reading was required. Now, he opens the text, turns on Line Focus to block out the rest of the page, and lets the app highlight words as it reads aloud. The change in his confidence is night and day—he goes from feeling overwhelmed by a wall of text to working through the material on his own. For my EAL students, having the built-in Picture Dictionary on Teams means they can click a tricky word, see a quick image, and keep reading without constantly raising their hand to ask me what it means.
When it comes to hardware, you don’t always need expensive gear to make a huge difference. Sometimes it’s as simple as digging into Windows settings to turn on Sticky Keys so a student who struggles with fine motor control doesn’t have to hold down three keys at once just to capitalise a letter, or simply bumping up the mouse cursor size so it doesn’t get lost on the screen.
That said, when standard setups really aren’t working, the hardware is necessary. For example, trackball mice are great for students who get frustrated trying to drag a standard mouse across a pad. Rolling the ball with their palm takes way less precise finger movement. Adaptive switches can be very useful. For one of my pupils with very limited movement, pairing a simple button switch with speech-to-text tools means they can finally participate in creative writing alongside their peers.
At the end of the day, there is no magic, one-size-fits-all device. It’s all about experimenting, listening to the student, and tweaking the tools until they can learn as independently as possibleI completely agree with your point about pupil autonomy—giving middle and senior students ownership over tools like Immersive Reader builds so much confidence.
The speech-to-text functionality in Dictate really is a game-changer, especially for pupils on the autism spectrum or those with dysgraphia who have brilliant ideas but get completely blocked by the mechanical demand of writing. Using it alongside typing removes that cognitive overload.
Also, using Immersive Reader for word problems in maths is such a brilliant, practical resource. It strips away the reading barrier and lets us assess their actual mathematical understanding.
When I think about using Assistive Technology (AT) in the classroom, it really comes down to giving every child a fair shot at learning. It doesn’t always have to be flashy or high-tech. Sometimes it’s a simple pencil grip or a printed graphic organiser to help a student map out an essay. Other times, it’s medium-tech stuff like an audiobook or speech-to-text software for a student with dyslexia who has brilliant ideas but struggles to get them down on paper. When we match the right tool to the child—using something like the SETT framework to figure out what they actually need—it completely changes their confidence. They stop feeling stuck and start working far more independently alongside their classmates.
Looking at AT through the lens of School Self-Evaluation (SSE) just means asking ourselves, “Is what we’re doing actually helping these kids?” It pushes us to look at real evidence in our own rooms—like whether a student is participating more in group work or finishing their tasks—rather than just guessing. This ties right into the Digital Learning Framework. Under Learner Outcomes, we see students using tools like screen readers to tackle reading tasks on their own. Under Learner Experiences, a student using a voice-typing app can finally contribute their thoughts to a group project without feeling held back by spelling. And for us as teachers, under Individual Practice, it’s about choosing these digital tools intentionally to differentiate our lessons so everyone can access the curriculum. Integrating AT isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about making sure our teaching actually reaches every student in front of us.
Hi Sharon, It’s great to hear how much you’re getting out of Module 1, especially working in SET as I do. Your point about AT benefiting all learners—not just those with an official SEN label is very true. It really ties into Universal Design for Learning. The SETT framework is a lifesaver for cutting through the noise and choosing the right tool instead of just guessing. It’s also interesting how you’re linking this to your maths inspection feedback.
