Voice dictation and dysorthographia

What if your child could write by speaking? That is what voice dictation makes possible, a feature available free of charge on most computers, tablets and phones. For a child or adult with dysorthographia, it can change their relationship with writing. Here is how it works, its advantages and its limitations. A free tool that is often underrated.

The principle

Voice dictation, also called speech recognition, turns speech into written text. You speak into a microphone, and the software writes the words on screen, with the correct spelling. The technology has become reliable.

It is built into most devices for free: computers running Windows or Mac, tablets, phones. It is also available in some online word processors. It is accessible to everyone.

Progress made in recent years has made it much more reliable and easier to use. It is still improving.

Why it helps so much

For a child with dysorthographia, writing requires considerable effort. With voice dictation, they can express their ideas without exhausting themselves over the spelling of every word. At last, they can express their ideas.

Their texts often become much richer and longer, as they can use the vocabulary of their speech, without fear of making mistakes. Their vocabulary comes through.

It is also an emotional relief: they can finally produce texts that reflect their thinking. This relief is invaluable. See dysorthographia and vocabulary.

Its limitations

Voice dictation is not perfect. It may misunderstand certain words, especially in a noisy environment or if one speaks too quickly. It sometimes confuses homophones. These errors are common.

The text produced therefore needs to be proofread and errors corrected. This proofreading still requires spelling skills. Proofreading remains essential.

It also requires a calm environment, which is not always possible in the classroom. Noise is an obstacle.

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Learning to use it

Using voice dictation takes a little practice. You need to speak clearly, at a steady pace, and dictate punctuation: « point », « comma », « new line ». These habits are learnt quickly.

It is often helpful to plan your ideas before dictating, to avoid hesitation. A plan or keywords help a great deal. Planning ideas helps a great deal.

Start with short texts at home before using it for longer homework. Practice makes it effective. See dysorthographia and composition.

At home and at school

At home, voice dictation is very useful for written homework, compositions and presentations. It frees up expression and reduces fatigue. It is a great relief.

At school, its use is more delicate, because of noise and the disruption it may cause for others. It can be provided for in a PAP or a PPS for certain situations. This is a matter to discuss with the school.

For exams, its use is generally limited, but other adjustments exist. Other forms of support exist. See PAP and dysorthographia.

Combining it with other tools

Voice dictation works well alongside the spell checker, which helps to spot remaining errors, and with text-to-speech, which reads the text aloud. These tools complement each other.

Listening to your text being read back helps you spot errors of meaning or recognition. It is an excellent way to proofread. Listening helps with proofreading.

Together, these tools form a genuine toolkit for writing. It is a genuine toolkit. See the spell checker.

For adults

Voice dictation is also very useful for adults with dysorthographia, particularly at work. It allows them to quickly write emails, reports or notes. It saves time.

On a phone, it is handy for everyday messages. It is handy in daily life.

See support for adults. Adults benefit from it too.

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Questions that keep coming up

Is voice dictation free? ?

Yes, it is built into most recent computers, tablets and phones free of charge. It is accessible to everyone.

Does voice dictation make mistakes? ?

Yes, it may misunderstand certain words or confuse homophones. The text produced needs to be proofread and corrected. Always proofread.

Can it be used in class? ?

It is more delicate because of noise, but it can be provided for in a PAP or a PPS for certain situations. This is a matter to discuss with the school.