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I am a gadget gal. I love technology gadgets. But what I have discovered in working with my own son, who is 12 and dyslexic, and technology is that less is sometimes more. For example, I've been told repeatedly by well meaning educators that what my son should use one of those pieces of software that types while you talk. Those are great pieces of software for some people. One of my former assistants used that kind of software to type most of his doctoral dissertation. But if you investigate that software genre, you quickly discover that to set the software up, primary users must personally and fluidly read aloud from numerous pages of prescribed text to help train the computer to recognize their voice and voice patterns. This would be no problem for most people, but for my son, if he could read like that, we wouldn't need the software.

So what do we do instead? To begin with ,we have explored what our basic word processor, Microsoft Word 98 for Macintosh, already has as part of it that can be helpful to him. One of the great things about this particular edition of Word is the ability to have what you have typed read back to you (look under Tools in the menubar and choose Speak Selection). With that he can hear and follow along to see if there are any missing words and if what he has typed makes sense. It also helps him figure out if he has made the right word choice, something that just using the Spell Checker can't do as a word can be spelled correctly and still be the wrong word. We have also changed the defaults so that the type is a little larger and the spacing is a little wider so he can more clearly perceive what is on the screen. In addition , we've toggled on the Auto Type feature, which helps with the writing process and gives him the ability to let the computer finish typing common words and phrases. Using the Auto Type really speeds up the typing process.

This is just one example of the kind of customizable options that can make writing more accessible to kids and adults with special needs. Often these options already exist in certain pieces of software and in both the Mac and Windows operating systems. The key is to take the time to investigate and learn how to use them. A recent survey I heard about revealed that while a program like Word has more than 2000 special features, the average user only takes advantage of 11 of them. You need to find out which of those 2000 features might be helpful to your child.

Where can you get help in discovering what your computer already has to offer?

• To find out more about your operating system (i.e. Windows 98 or XP, or Macintosh OS 9 or X) go to either the Microsoft site at http://www.microsoft.com or the Apple site at http://www.apple.com and search using the word "accessibility". You can do the same thing for particular pieces of software like Word and AppleWorks.
• Get a book on your operating system or word processor and look for features that might be helpful to your child's particular learning situation. Can the screen be magnified? What from the keyboard can be put on the screen and accessed by the mouse or other input device that works better for your child? How do you slow down the speed of the cursor? Can you make the navigation bar bigger? Is there a way to access text-to-speech?
• Take an hour or two and click through some of the menus of both the operating system and standard software you use on your computer. See what you can find. Don't be afraid. If you turned something on or off - as long as you remember where you did it - it is totally reversible. (A pad of paper and a pencil can be helpful here, just in case you get called away.)
• Talk to other parents and teachers to see if they have discovered any tricks or tips that might be helpful. Think about taking a course on your operating system at the local computer store or a continuing education class. Listen carefully for things that might be of use to you and ASK QUESTIONS.

Next: Looking at "Special Tools"