that some tools may be blocked by the security platforms of the test itself and sometimes may need additional features activated. Some testing suites offer their own TTS options in suite however, they must be turned on in advance. It’s important to consider all of these factors when developing a comprehensive plan for how a student will use TTS. This should be checked long before testing begins! Rogers, Thurlow, Lazarus, and Liu (2019), in their retrospective study of the research on testing accommodations from 2015-2016, found mixed results when looking at the overall effectiveness of accommodations. Their findings appear representative of the need to develop individualized plans based upon individual student's needs and preferences hence it is key to develop a plan ahead of time to address how accommodations will be used for testing. STEP 5: Once an AT plan is developed and finalized, it should be shared with the entire team. The plan should be comprehensive, taking into consideration all aspects of the curriculum and a student’s day including both long and short term needs. It is also important to remember that in addition to ELA, students who struggle with reading may need to to use TTS for multiple tasks including things such as: read daily posts on Google Classroom, word problems in math/math work, health units in PE, etc. Remember that reading and decoding text is a part of the student’s entire day and there are many instances where the tool will be necessary. I have often found that this needs to be explicitly demonstrated to students. For instance, a student may be struggling with content in the health unit of physical education class and because it is not typical for them to use their TTS tool in that environment it is not thought of. STEP 6: Just like any other assistive technology accommodation, data on effectiveness will need to be collected and analyzed on a regular basis. Changes may need to be made along the way as the student progresses through their years of school as curriculum changes and support needs change along with that. If appropriate, transition plans may need to be developed to plan for big changes. STEP 7: Lastly, in Myth 6, the Department of Education notes that if AT devices and services are being made available, it must be included in the IEP. Thus, the plan will need to be documented and defined within the student's individualized education plan. It is also important to note that further training and assistance may be needed along the way. I find that when a student realizes how helpful the tool is, they are wanting to learn more about how to use it in practical ways outside of the classroom. Assistance may be needed in showing a student and their family how to download and activate TTS on home based technologies. Teaching a child to
use TTS can become a life long benefit. In sum, there are a few steps to develop a comprehensive plan for supporting a student who has a print-based reading disability. There are two main components of consideration for students who struggle with reading: use of text to speech and access to accessible educational materials. An accessible curriculum and access to accessible instructional materials are important in creating a universally designed learning environment where students who struggle with literacy can easily access grade level materials using TTS tools. Several supports and guides can be used to help guide teachers and teams in selecting appropriate TTS tools and in obtaining appropriate AEM as needed. Barriers in the use of text to speech tools can be mitigated with planning. Use of text to speech tools within testing is an important additional consideration for students who require the use of a text to speech tool. There are so many benefits from providing students with access to grade appropriate content through the use of TTS and AEM. In just a few steps, you can provide a student with a skill that may become a life long benefit. REFERENCES: Audiobooks for dyslexia & learning disabilities. Learning Ally. (2024, April 3). https://learningally.org/ Bar-Lev, N., & Huettl, M. (Eds.). (2021, September 1). WCASS guide. Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services. https://wcass.memberclicks.net/wcass-guide Benetech. (n.d.). Who qualifies? . Bookshare. https://www. bookshare.org/cms/bookshare-me/who-qualifies CAST. (2023, April 3). National Center on Accessible Educational Materials at cast . AEM Center. https://aem.cast.org/ Library of Congress. (1996). The Chafee Amendment: 17 U.S.C. 121 & 121a - National Library Service ... National Library Service for the blind and print disabled . https://www.loc.gov/nls/about/ organization/laws-regulations/copyright-law-amendment-1996- pl-104-197/ Rogers , C. M., Lazarus , S. S., Thurlow, M. L., & Liu, K. K. (2020, August). A summary of the research on the effects of K–12 test ... - eric. A Summary of the Research on the Effects of K–12 Test Accommodations: 2017. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ ED609703.pdf US Department of Education . (2024a, January 26). S tatute and regulations. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. https:// sites.ed.gov/idea/statuteregulations/ US Department of Education . (2024b, January 29). Assistive technology devices and services for children with disabilities under the idea. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. https://sites. ed.gov/idea/idea-files/at-guidance/ Zabala , J. (2005). SETT scaffolds. Joy Zabala Site. https://www. joyzabala.com/links-resources
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