Trials of assistive technology to help SEND pupils
The government is funding trials of new assistive technology for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in up to 100 schools and colleges.
Innovations are expected to include ‘text-to-speech’ and ‘speech recognition’ software, which can help pupils with dyslexia improve their reading and proof-reading.
Other trials include the use of eye-gaze technology, which can help pupils with severe motor impairments to communicate, helping to level the playing field for children with additional needs.
The trials of cutting-edge technology will be funded by an initial investment of £300,000, as part of a wider investment of £10 million through the Department’s EdTech Strategy, which aims to transform the use of technology in education to support innovation and raise the bar in schools, colleges and universities across England.
The pilots will run from April 2020 until the end of the 2020-21 academic year and will assess the impact of different types of assistive technology for pupils with special educational needs, informing best practice on the tools which most help pupils in the classroom.
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