Anyone have University students (with ADHD) who prefer audio-texts?

[FigmentSpark]

DS is heading off to university. He's excited about this new chapter in life and about being in residence. One thing that has him nervous however has to do with his ADHD and the accommodation he had in high school. He was always given an e-version of the textbooks and was able to read along with the audio using "read&write on Google". Sure, he can read just fine, but the added text to speech helped his understanding of the content, so he didn't have to re-read passages.

So, my question, does anyone else here have a student that prefers to have the audio version of the texts? What reading software do they use and/or where can you get the texts in an audio version?

The books my DS needs are on kindle (at a higher price than the real book!), but unless there is an "Audible" version (which textbooks usually aren't), I don't think the kindle app has a text to speech ability.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Does he have a 504 plan? it should follow him to college if he does. Chrome has free text to speech.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I know he could use the extension on Chrome, but I don't think he can read a "kindle" book on Chrome. Don't you have to use an app, even if it's a PC app?

He has had a psych-ed done, so yes, he should get accommodations, but I don't know how they will get around the text not being available in an audio format.

 

[NotUrsula]

The difficulty will depend on the subject matter. Most trade books that are not specifically sold as textbooks (novels, nonfiction business books or history, etc.) are available somewhere as audios, and can be sourced through most college libraries (it may not be available free in their collections, but they will be happy to help you find it to purchase, if that's necessary.)

If you need a textbook in audio format, that's a bit more difficult, and like all college textbooks, the expectation is that you will usually have to purchase it. The simplest option is getting the book as an ebook, then using an app like Speechify or Natural Reader to have it read aloud. The Kindle does have a text-to-speech option; it's in the Accessibility menu, called VoiceView. Unfortunately it doesn't work elegantly on the Paperwhite device; older Kindles are actually better with text-to-speech.

You can also use a scanning device such as the OrCam Reader to wand the pages of hardcopy books and have the text read aloud, but that demands being in a position to keep scanning with one hand.

 

[barkley]

Does he have a 504 plan? it should follow him to college if he does. Chrome has free text to speech.

there is no legislation at the post secondary level that entitles you to the same level of academic support that you receive in high school. this means that if you have an IEP, Section 504 Plan, or any accommodations or modifications, they will not necessarily transfer into the college setting.

here is a great explanation of it-

At the college level, Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) replaces IDEA and is the law under which students with learning disabilities receive protection.

What does this mean in practical terms? It means in order to receive accommodations, college applicants must submit appropriate documentation to the college’s Office of Disability Services. It is at the discretion of the director of this office that accommodations are granted or denied.

It also means that the onus of success suddenly shifts from the school to the student. Students are treated as adults and are expected to assume responsibility for getting their needs met.

Under Section 504, all colleges that receive federal funding (most public and private colleges) are obligated to accommodate students with LD.
However, even among colleges that accept federal funds, there are variations in the accommodations a student may receive. That’s because the decision, made by the disabilities director, is subjective.

i have a son with (among other diagnosis) adhd and despite having the department of vocational rehabilitation overseeing his college education along with being enrolled in a college program specifically designed for for students with disabilities nothing from his k-12 plans transferred to post secondary education. we had to start over at step one with the college's office for disabilities and they decided what they could and would assist with.


i am not at all familiar with text to speech technology HOWEVER-many years ago when i was a college student one of my jobs was to record college text books for visually impaired students. you might research what options are available for your son's textbooks for the visually impaired b/c it may serve his needs as well.

best of luck to you and your son!

 

[Imzadi]

The free Calibre app will convert a Kindle book to PDF format. Then he can read it on Chrome with the Natural Reader or other Chrome app.

He has to install a plug-in to Calibre. The directions are here:

https://www.techradar.com/how-to/how-to-convert-a-kindle-book-to-pdf

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I know he could use the extension on Chrome, but I don't think he can read a "kindle" book on Chrome. Don't you have to use an app, even if it's a PC app?

He has had a psych-ed done, so yes, he should get accommodations, but I don't know how they will get around the text not being available in an audio format.

When my daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia, the psychologist who did her eval sent us a link to a site called Bookshare that had a variety of books in audio format. I don't know if the site has college textbooks because my daughter is still in elementary school but I'm sure there are other sites out there for accessibility, in fact our school district uses a different site with more educational books but i dont remember the name because we really didn't utilize it (she has been mostly virtual since Covid so I typically read her texts and other school work to her).

If you are on Facebook I recommend joining some FB groups specific to accommodations for college students. I've done that for both my kids who have health/education issues and it's been a wonderful way to connect with others. My local parents of students with disabilities group has been a great resource for help with finding tools and accommodations for my daughter.

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

Check with the college. Student services have amazing programs for students and provide accommodations including adaptive technology.
Good luck to your son.

 

[QueenIsabella]

My DD19 prefers to read a "real" book, so she can highlight. For her, writing helps to reinforce her understanding.

It seems like a lot of the textbooks come with an audio CD/USB/download. I'm not sure what's on it. You might want to check with his school's bookstore--I don't know if it's an audio version, or study questions, or what.

My DD wasn't identified until college, but all colleges have an "Office of Special Services" or the like, that can help your son navigate his needs (as much as possible, let HIM do it--he needs to learn to advocate for himself. You can be available as back-up, if he runs into trouble). I know my DD has specific accommodations that she's entitled to--in her case, a quiet room to take tests in, so she doesn't get distracted by someone tapping a pencil, for example. She would tell you to contact OSS early on, as soon as you know you have a test, because they get swamped, especially during finals. All she needed was to give them a copy of the letter from the doctor that diagnosed her.

 

[daisy2013]

He should reach out to disabilities services to set up supports he may require. Different colleges have different levels of support so he should start this process asap. Some text book publishers will provide ebook versions that can be read by computer programs. But you need to be registered with disability services and often have to purchase the hard copy and have proof of purchase.

 

[FigmentSpark]

He's already registered with the Student Accessibility group. One thing they told me is that some publishers, upon proving you have bought a book, could provide an audio copy. I will look into that, for sure.

I've also reached out to Amazon. One thing they told me is that if you have the e-book, and you have Alexa, Alexa will read the book to you. The only problem is he'd want something he could use in class or in his dorm through headphones, not for everyone to have to hear. There is an Alexa app in the Apple app store, so I might research whether that could be an option.

Also, the PC Kindle app does have a text to speech option, but it's very basic. You can't really follow along easily and if you stop it, you can't start it at the same spot. My kindle is older, so I didn't even know there was a text to speech option on any of the newer versions. I might check that out.

The free Calibre app will convert a Kindle book to PDF format. Then he can read it on Chrome with the Natural Reader or other Chrome app.

He has to install a plug-in to Calibre. The directions are here:

https://www.techradar.com/how-to/how-to-convert-a-kindle-book-to-pdf

Good ideas. I will check out the link. Thanks.

 

[RangerPooh]

I work in a student services office on a college campus. While I do not handle the disability services/accommodations component, my colleague does. Questions about accommodations come up frequently in my meetings with students. As others have shared, requests can vary from school to school, and do not necessarily have to mimic those received in the k-12 environment. It sounds like you've already contacted the office to initiate the request for services. Make sure that your child's last psych eval was within the last five years as they expire, and the institution will want a recent eval that meets their specific criteria. A number of the programs listed are ones that I hear recommended in our office, but I'm sure your school's office will have additional recommendations.

For those with kids entering college here's a reminder from those of us who work in student support services:

• Those over age 18 are adults, and need to work towards advocating for their needs. Please assist them in coming up with talking points for meetings, but ultimately they are responsible for initiating/conducting the meetings. We cannot talk to you without their written consent. If in person, their verbal consent may be needed as well. Without this we cannot answer any questions or discuss anything pertaining specifically to them or their needs. This will be needed for each office as it is not a blanket permission.
• Psych evals expire, and not all are the same. Read the school's website/ask questions about what specifically the school needs to initiate accommodations. We have students who come to us with (years) expired evals or informal evals from practitioners who have received accommodations in K-12, and are surprised that they have to reapply and re-eval in order to receive accommodations in higher education.
• If your child is unsure if they want to use accommodations that they have used in the past due to stigma or a fresh start, still encourage them to apply for accommodations. They often do not have to use them, but are already in place should the need to arise. We encourage our incoming students to have them on file even if they are unsure if they will use them, as the processing of them to get accommodation requests approved can take a few weeks. If you come to us in November for December final’s you might not have them approved in time.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I work in a student services office on a college campus. While I do not handle the disability services/accommodations component, my colleague does. Questions about accommodations come up frequently in my meetings with students. As others have shared, requests can vary from school to school, and do not necessarily have to mimic those received in the k-12 environment. It sounds like you've already contacted the office to initiate the request for services. Make sure that your child's last psych eval was within the last five years as they expire, and the institution will want a recent eval that meets their specific criteria. A number of the programs listed are ones that I hear recommended in our office, but I'm sure your school's office will have additional recommendations.

For those with kids entering college here's a reminder from those of us who work in student support services:

• Those over age 18 are adults, and need to work towards advocating for their needs. Please assist them in coming up with talking points for meetings, but ultimately they are responsible for initiating/conducting the meetings. We cannot talk to you without their written consent. If in person, their verbal consent may be needed as well. Without this we cannot answer any questions or discuss anything pertaining specifically to them or their needs. This will be needed for each office as it is not a blanket permission.
• Psych evals expire, and not all are the same. Read the school's website/ask questions about what specifically the school needs to initiate accommodations. We have students who come to us with (years) expired evals or informal evals from practitioners who have received accommodations in K-12, and are surprised that they have to reapply and re-eval in order to receive accommodations in higher education.
• If your child is unsure if they want to use accommodations that they have used in the past due to stigma or a fresh start, still encourage them to apply for accommodations. They often do not have to use them, but are already in place should the need to arise. We encourage our incoming students to have them on file even if they are unsure if they will use them, as the processing of them to get accommodation requests approved can take a few weeks. If you come to us in November for December final’s you might not have them approved in time.

Excellent post, and bears repeating!

Not relevant to the OP's situation, but...I also have a son (DS25) with autism. He also has anxiety, depression, two learning disabilities, and in a room full of introverts, he'd be the most introverted. He HATES that he's entitled to accommodations! But, they're in place to help him. It's kind of funny--he can advocate for himself...but only if I'm sitting next to him. When I accompanied him to his Special Services meeting, I said nothing beyond introducing myself. The counselor commented at the end, about how good a job he did, speaking up for what he needed. He told her, he could do it, because I was there with him.

His sister (DD19) has no such problem--her senior superlative was "Friendliest/most outgoing". If only I could balance between the two!

DS25 can't take notes in class--it's one of his disabilities. We encourage him to read the chapter beforehand, then just listen in class, then re-read when he gets home. He's allowed to tape lectures (one of his accommodations), but doesn't like to. And some teachers don't like to be taped, which I get, but it helps my son. It also helps my son to type his notes, versus hand writing them.

Good luck in your journey. It won't be success-only. But, it seems to be working for my DD19, at least--she made Dean's List last semester! (shameless Mom brag!)

 

[FigmentSpark]

I work in a student services office on a college campus. While I do not handle the disability services/accommodations component, my colleague does. Questions about accommodations come up frequently in my meetings with students. As others have shared, requests can vary from school to school, and do not necessarily have to mimic those received in the k-12 environment. It sounds like you've already contacted the office to initiate the request for services. Make sure that your child's last psych eval was within the last five years as they expire, and the institution will want a recent eval that meets their specific criteria. A number of the programs listed are ones that I hear recommended in our office, but I'm sure your school's office will have additional recommendations.

For those with kids entering college here's a reminder from those of us who work in student support services:

• Those over age 18 are adults, and need to work towards advocating for their needs. Please assist them in coming up with talking points for meetings, but ultimately they are responsible for initiating/conducting the meetings. We cannot talk to you without their written consent. If in person, their verbal consent may be needed as well. Without this we cannot answer any questions or discuss anything pertaining specifically to them or their needs. This will be needed for each office as it is not a blanket permission.
• Psych evals expire, and not all are the same. Read the school's website/ask questions about what specifically the school needs to initiate accommodations. We have students who come to us with (years) expired evals or informal evals from practitioners who have received accommodations in K-12, and are surprised that they have to reapply and re-eval in order to receive accommodations in higher education.
• If your child is unsure if they want to use accommodations that they have used in the past due to stigma or a fresh start, still encourage them to apply for accommodations. They often do not have to use them, but are already in place should the need to arise. We encourage our incoming students to have them on file even if they are unsure if they will use them, as the processing of them to get accommodation requests approved can take a few weeks. If you come to us in November for December final’s you might not have them approved in time.

Excellent advice. Anyone with accommodations in high school should be talking to their CERT in that last year to make sure they have everything they need to move forward. We had our DS's PsychEd done last April in preparation for the move to university. A pleasant surprise, he'd outgrown one of his disabilities. That just shows why it's important to keep current.

Also, I should note that I had to make the appointment for the PsychEd back in Nov of 2021, as they are in high demand in my area for the spring time. Anyone preparing for this should be aware of the waitlists, as well as the timelines to get it done.

Excellent post, and bears repeating!

Not relevant to the OP's situation, but...I also have a son (DS25) with autism. He also has anxiety, depression, two learning disabilities, and in a room full of introverts, he'd be the most introverted. He HATES that he's entitled to accommodations! But, they're in place to help him. It's kind of funny--he can advocate for himself...but only if I'm sitting next to him. When I accompanied him to his Special Services meeting, I said nothing beyond introducing myself. The counselor commented at the end, about how good a job he did, speaking up for what he needed. He told her, he could do it, because I was there with him.

His sister (DD19) has no such problem--her senior superlative was "Friendliest/most outgoing". If only I could balance between the two!

DS25 can't take notes in class--it's one of his disabilities. We encourage him to read the chapter beforehand, then just listen in class, then re-read when he gets home. He's allowed to tape lectures (one of his accommodations), but doesn't like to. And some teachers don't like to be taped, which I get, but it helps my son. It also helps my son to type his notes, versus hand writing them.

Good luck in your journey. It won't be success-only. But, it seems to be working for my DD19, at least--she made Dean's List last semester! (shameless Mom brag!)

My son had a problem with taking notes and one of the items on his IEP was that he was to get handouts of all the material, rather than taking notes. In addition, he took his Macbook to school and would type notes, rather than having to write them.

It sounds like your DS has found what works for him.

 

[RangerPooh]

Also, I should note that I had to make the appointment for the PsychEd back in Nov of 2021, as they are in high demand in my area for the spring time. Anyone preparing for this should be aware of the waitlists, as well as the timelines to get it done.

Great point! We often have students come to us needing new evals or even a first eval, and are surprised to learn about waitlists for local providers can be months out. Some are even surprised by the cost that for the assessments as not everyone accepts insurance.

 

[FigmentSpark]

The university bookstore is selling some e-books in the Brytewave format. I've never heard of it, but if it does the job, then that would be great. Only one of 3 books available though.