For students with physical or mental impairments, common classroom tasks can be quite daunting. Fortunately, specialized software can strengthen these students’ capabilities and computer skills. Software exists that can read aloud the text of Web pages, teach students about basic phonemic distinctions, translate text to and from Braille, and more.

Students in need of speech therapy and students with hearing disorders will benefit from IBM’s Speech Viewer III, available through Edmark. The program creates engaging and interactive displays of speech, allowing users to see the things they say. Students using the program can begin with simple sound awareness, and progress through exercises designed to fine-tune their control of multiple aspects of speech, such as pitch, loudness, and eventually complex speech patterns. Each exercise offers a choice of animated graphics for age appropriateness, and real-time responses keep students engaged in the activities. These special needs education activities are designed to help students master loudness range, voice timing, pitch control, and other

a range of special needs, from learning disabilities to physical impairments. The series consists of three programs, which teach elementary cause and effect. Each program contains several scenes, accompanied by colorful animation with high-quality speech and sound effects. The games can be played in four modes, for various levels of ability, and the program can be customized to meet individual needs.