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Is there anybody who should definitely not use a supportive writing system? Some pupils will not benefit from a supportive writing system but it would be a mistake to reject supportive writing ‘in the abstract’ without trying it. Individuals who might be expected to have problems with particular types of supportive writing technology are:
- Pupils with severe general learning difficulties who are unlikely to become spellers are unlikely to benefit from using standard word processors. But they may be able to use word banks, word predictors or symbol-based writing tools.
- Anyone who is unsupported by an adult or a helper might have difficulties in learning and using supportive writing systems and might become discouraged and demotivated. This doesn’t mean ‘don’t use a supportive writing program’ but it does mean ‘organise a teaching and support system before introducing such a program’.
- Pupils with difficulties all have individual needs. Each teacher must evaluate the situation and decide what works best for their pupils.
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