Teaching computer-based spelling to individuals with developmental and hearing disabilities: transfer of stimulus control to writing tasks.

Two adults with developmental and hearing disabilities used a computer spelling program.

The program showed a picture, spoke the word, then asked the learner to click the correct letters.

No one practiced writing by hand during training.

Both learners later wrote the words on paper without help.

They also picked the real objects when they saw the printed words.

The computer lessons created full spelling, even though handwriting was never taught.

Bacon-Prue et al. (1980) got fast spelling with index cards and interspersal drills. Vollmer et al. (1996) show a computer can do the same job while adding automatic speech and pictures.

Williams et al. (2002) moved the idea to reading. Their preschoolers with autism stayed on task longer and learned words through computer stories. Together the studies say: screen delivery helps many literacy skills across ages and labels.

Shimizu et al. (2010) first taught mouse control to preschoolers with DD. Vollmer et al. (1996) assume that skill is in place, so run the mouse-to-spelling sequence after Hirofumi’s shaping package for smoother sessions.

You can add a spelling module to any tablet or laptop and skip extra handwriting drills. Start with pictures the learner already names, let the computer speak the word, and require a correct click chain. Watch for neat pen strokes or object selection later—both show the program worked.