Assistive Technology for Dyslexia: Text-to-Speech and More

If your child has dyslexia, you may have been told about expensive reading software or specialized devices. Those can help, but many families do not realize that some of the most effective tools are already on the phone, tablet or laptop in their house, free.

Text-to-speech, dictation, reader modes and focus tools are built into every major platform. Set up well, they let a student listen to a textbook chapter, write an essay by speaking, and read web pages without visual clutter.

This guide explains what each tool does, where to find it on each device, and how to get more help through school. This is general information, not medical or educational advice; talk with your child’s school and specialists about what fits their needs.

What assistive technology for dyslexia does

Dyslexia is a learning difference that mainly affects reading accuracy, fluency and spelling. Assistive technology does not cure it or replace reading instruction. It works around the barrier so a student can access content and show what they know.

The main categories are:

• Text-to-speech (TTS): reads digital text aloud, often highlighting words as it goes
• Speech-to-text (dictation): turns spoken words into typed text
• Reading supports: reader modes, line focus, adjustable fonts and spacing, syllable splitting
• Audiobooks and accessible books: human-narrated or digital books in formats that work with TTS
• Writing supports: spell check, word prediction and grammar tools
• Scanning tools: apps that convert printed pages into text that can be read aloud

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, assistive technology includes any item or piece of equipment used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability, and IEP teams must consider whether a child needs it.

Key takeaway: Start with the free tools already on your devices. Text-to-speech and dictation alone can change how a student with dyslexia handles reading and writing, and they cost nothing to try.

Free built-in tools by device

Every major platform includes text-to-speech and dictation. The names and menus differ.

Menus change with software updates, so if a setting is not where this table says, search your device’s settings for “spoken content,” “select to speak” or “dictation.”

Setting up text-to-speech on phones and tablets

On iPhone and iPad:

1. Open Settings, then Accessibility, then Spoken Content.
2. Turn on Speak Selection to hear any text you highlight. Select text, then tap Speak.
3. Turn on Speak Screen to hear the whole page. Swipe down from the top of the screen with 2 fingers to start it.
4. Turn on Highlight Content so words are highlighted as they are read.
5. Choose a voice and adjust the speaking rate. Many students prefer a slightly slower rate at first, then speed up.

On Android:

1. Open Settings, then Accessibility, then Select to Speak, and turn it on. It is part of the Android Accessibility Suite.
2. Use the shortcut, such as a 2-finger swipe up or the Accessibility button, then tap or drag over the text to hear it.
3. For long articles, try Google’s Reading mode app, which shows a simplified, read-aloud view of the page.

Many students find that listening while following highlighted words helps them stay on track and remember more.

Setting up tools on computers and Chromebooks

Windows and Microsoft apps: Immersive Reader is a free Microsoft tool built into Edge, Word, OneNote, Outlook and Teams. It reads text aloud with word highlighting and lets students change text size and spacing, split words into syllables and turn on line focus, which shows a few lines at a time and dims the rest. In Edge, open a page and choose Read aloud or Immersive Reader. For writing, Windows voice typing opens with Windows key + H.

Mac: Open System Settings, then Accessibility, then Spoken Content, and turn on Speak selection. Then select text in almost any app and use the keyboard shortcut to hear it. Dictation is in the Keyboard settings.

Chromebook: Many schools issue Chromebooks, so this setup matters. In Settings, open Accessibility and turn on Select-to-speak. Hold the Search key and drag over text, or highlight text and press Search + S, to have it read. Turn on Dictation and press Search + D to type by voice anywhere you can type. If your child’s school Chromebook is managed, some settings may need to be enabled by the school’s IT team.

Weighing a new device? Our guide to Mac vs Windows vs Chromebook compares the platforms.

Writing with dictation and spelling supports

Writing is often harder than reading for students with dyslexia, because spelling slows down the flow of ideas.

Practical ways to use writing tools:

• Dictate the first draft. Speaking ideas first, then editing, separates thinking from spelling.
• Listen back. Use text-to-speech to read the draft aloud. Hearing it often reveals missing words and errors that are hard to see.
• Turn on word prediction in the phone keyboard to reduce spelling effort.
• Use spell check and grammar tools, but teach your child to review suggestions rather than accept them all.

AI tools can also help with feedback and organization when a teacher allows it. Our guide on how students can use AI for homework explains how to use them honestly.

Free accessible books and audiobooks

Textbooks and novels in accessible formats make a big difference, and several sources are free for eligible students.

• Bookshare is an online library of accessible ebooks. It is free for qualifying US students, funded by the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, and dyslexia is among the reading barriers it serves. Books can be read aloud with highlighted text. A qualified professional, such as a reading specialist or special education teacher, confirms eligibility.
• The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), part of the Library of Congress, offers free audiobooks and braille materials to eligible US residents, including people with reading disabilities. Educators, reading specialists and school psychologists can now certify eligibility for reading disabilities.
• Public libraries offer free audiobooks and ebooks through apps such as Libby and Hoopla with a library card.

Paid services, such as human-narrated textbook libraries, also exist. Ask your school whether it already has a subscription.

Getting assistive technology through school

If your child has an IEP or a Section 504 plan, assistive technology can be written into it.

1. Ask for an assistive technology consideration at the next IEP or 504 meeting. IEP teams are required to consider AT needs.
2. Request an AT evaluation if you are unsure what would help.
3. Ask for specifics in writing: which tools, on which devices, in which classes and on which tests.
4. Check test accommodations. Read-aloud and speech-to-text accommodations on standardized tests have their own approval processes, so ask early.
5. Make sure home and school match. If a student uses text-to-speech at school, set up the same tool at home.

Teachers using AI to adapt materials can also produce leveled texts that pair well with text-to-speech. See how teachers use AI to plan lessons.

Where to start this week

1. Pick one device your child uses most.
2. Turn on text-to-speech using the steps above and try it on a homework reading.
3. Turn on dictation and have your child speak a few sentences for a writing task.
4. Adjust voice speed, highlighting and font size together until it feels comfortable.
5. Sign up for a library card and explore audiobooks.
6. Ask the school about Bookshare, NLS eligibility and adding AT to the IEP or 504 plan.

Keep the focus on independence. The goal is for your child to know which tool to reach for and when.

Conclusion

The best assistive technology for dyslexia is often hiding in plain sight: text-to-speech, dictation, reader modes and focus tools built into the devices families already own. Set them up, practice with real homework, add free accessible books, and work with the school to make AT part of your child’s formal plan. For a wider view of how technology is changing learning, see AI tutors and the future of edtech.

Sources

• Apple iPhone User Guide: Speak Selection and Speak Screen — setup and the 2-finger swipe gesture
• Google Android Accessibility Help: Use Select to Speak — setup and shortcuts for Android text-to-speech
• Microsoft Learning Tools: Immersive Reader — free reading tool with read aloud, line focus and syllables
• Library of Congress NLS: Eligibility — free service for people with reading disabilities
• Bookshare — free accessible ebooks for qualifying US students
• US Department of Education IDEA regulations: Assistive technology device (34 CFR 300.5) — federal definition of assistive technology