SS73 - Teachers' Perspectives of Assistive Technology Use for Students with Dyslexia
SCURS Disciplines
Education
Document Type
General Poster
Invited Presentation Choice
Not Applicable
Abstract
Dyslexia is a neurological language-based processing disability that can impact students’ academic performance. Assistive technology (AT), including text-to-speech, speech-to-text, audiobooks, and closed captioning can be used as tools for increasing access to grade-level content. However, there is little research on how teachers perceive, implement, and navigate the practical realities of students’ AT use in and out of the classroom. In this qualitative study, I explored teachers’ perspectives on the benefits, challenges, and instructional implications of assistive technology for students with dyslexia. This study was guided by three research questions: (1) What do teachers perceive as the benefits of students with dyslexia using assistive technology in and outside of the classroom? (2) How do teachers implement assistive technology during reading instruction for students with dyslexia? (3) What challenges or limitations do teachers encounter when using assistive technology to support students with dyslexia? I conducted interviews with three teachers who work with students with dyslexia. I used open-coding to analyze the interview transcripts and identified four themes, which were: (1) enhancing comprehension through multimodal access, (2) using accessible and readily available technology, (3) navigating training, access, and policy-related constraints, and (4) preparing students for current and future technology use. Findings suggest that while assistive technology is beneficial for supporting students with dyslexia, effectively integrating it in a school setting is influenced by teacher motivation and capabilities, as well as students’ own desires and concerns.
Keywords
Dyslexia, literacy instruction, assistive technology
Start Date
10-4-2026 9:30 AM
Location
University Readiness Center Greatroom
End Date
10-4-2026 11:30 AM
SS73 - Teachers' Perspectives of Assistive Technology Use for Students with Dyslexia
University Readiness Center Greatroom
Dyslexia is a neurological language-based processing disability that can impact students’ academic performance. Assistive technology (AT), including text-to-speech, speech-to-text, audiobooks, and closed captioning can be used as tools for increasing access to grade-level content. However, there is little research on how teachers perceive, implement, and navigate the practical realities of students’ AT use in and out of the classroom. In this qualitative study, I explored teachers’ perspectives on the benefits, challenges, and instructional implications of assistive technology for students with dyslexia. This study was guided by three research questions: (1) What do teachers perceive as the benefits of students with dyslexia using assistive technology in and outside of the classroom? (2) How do teachers implement assistive technology during reading instruction for students with dyslexia? (3) What challenges or limitations do teachers encounter when using assistive technology to support students with dyslexia? I conducted interviews with three teachers who work with students with dyslexia. I used open-coding to analyze the interview transcripts and identified four themes, which were: (1) enhancing comprehension through multimodal access, (2) using accessible and readily available technology, (3) navigating training, access, and policy-related constraints, and (4) preparing students for current and future technology use. Findings suggest that while assistive technology is beneficial for supporting students with dyslexia, effectively integrating it in a school setting is influenced by teacher motivation and capabilities, as well as students’ own desires and concerns.