Assistive Technology Writing Tools and Strategies Database

Find the right strategies and tools to help struggling writers

Search Strategies and Ideas

Search By Needs and Challenges

Search Tools and Products

About This Database

This database structure has just recently been created. We are planning on adding information so that it will be a comprehensive database. However, we are counting on users sharing their ideas and strategies so we can all learn from each other. If you or your students want to share information about writing strategies and tools that you have found useful, please make an account so that you can add your information.

When students struggle with writing, we need to ask these questions, in this order:

1. FIRST: what are the student's needs and challenges?
2. NEXT: What kinds of strategies, methods and ideas might be beneficial for the student? These strategies start at the most fundamental aspects of children's sensory and physical development, cognitive skills, learning processes and many other variables. We need to consider all these aspects and identify strategies for training, remediation and accommodations, before identifying technology tools and equipment. We can all learn from each other and others' successes. If others have found specific strategies helpful, can we share that information and learn from what others have achieved?
3. LAST: What are the tools, technologies, apps, programs, equipment and hardware that can support the strategies and methods?

For students who struggle with writing, we need to work on therapy approaches, including research-based multisensory and neurodevelopmental treatment approaches which can be highly successful. Children need to develop skills to their highest potential. In addition to therapy and remediation approaches, technology can be powerful for augmenting learning and achievement!

When used wisely and with careful team planning, technology can help support student learning and can mean the difference between dependence and independence, challenge and achievement.

There are hundreds of technology TOOL options, as well as different METHODS of use and various STRATEGIES of use. There are so many ideas and combinations of strategies, that it becomes difficult to keep on top of all the information. Technology is changing so rapidly, the ways we are using technology changes. This is a database of information related specifically to writing for all to use.

This is a comprehensive database with the following sections:

• STUDENT NEEDS AND CHALLENGES - search the database based on your student's needs.
• STRATEGIES, IDEAS and WORK SAMPLES - information from people who are using the technologies, both students as well as their teachers and parents.
• TOOLS - high tech. and other tools/equipment/programs for writing (for ALL students of all ages, all cognitive levels and all functional levels).

We also offer training, including presentations, workshops, and webinars. For more information, see BridgetteNicholson.com.

If you are:

• An adult (parent, teacher, therapist or educator) and you have used successful strategies and methods with your child or students, PLEASE share or add those ideas into the database. Even the simplest of ideas may be new and useful to others. PLEASE add your information to the database. (You will need to create an account to add your information - this will allow you to log in and edit and to add information whenever you have anything new to share).
• A student (a young person using successful methods or even if you are an adult but have used specific tools and strategies yourself), please add your information and share your ideas about methods and systems that work for you. You can add text, and also add videos and photos of your work to explain what has worked for you. It is extremely useful for students who struggle, and the adults who support them to hear from actual users and real life stories of things that work!

Feel free to include your name in the information you enter if you want credit for your information. Please note that all entries can be modified or deleted if not appropriate for the goals of this database.

If this database of writing strategies and tools is useful to users and viewers, we will consider expanding it to include information related to reading, vision and other learning needs. We hope you will all add information... even the most basic of information might be of use to someone! Please give your feedback here. (We may not be able to respond to all emails but would love to hear comments and feedback).