RapidReader for Those with Learning Disabilities

RapidReader for those with ADD/ADHD or dyslexia: technology helping to "level the playing field"

For a child or adult struggling with a learning disabilities such as ADHD or Dyslexia, clinical trials have shown that altering the speed and presentation of the text can make a huge difference in attention, comprehension and retention of written material. With more and more of our daily reading available on a computer it makes sense to let the computer provide a boost in reading and knowledge building. That's the power of RapidReader. It's unique display methodology offers benefits beyond reading speed.

Standardized testing is here and it’s being used in more and more settings to determine the opportunities a student will have in the future. If you’re the parent of a student with a learning disability, that’s a reality that has special meaning for you and your child. Fairly or unfairly, their special gifts and talents may not show up on tests designed for the majority. Their individual differences aren't taken into account when the scores are handed out. In school, difficulty in processing information efficiently can add a tremendous burden to reading, finishing assignments and consequently scoring well on tests.

RapidReader's unique combination of large fonts, the patented Human Cadence™ text flow, elimination of eye movement and scrolling makes reading easier, more comfortable and far faster for people with learning disorders. Thousands use it everyday at home, schools and universities to take the strain out of reading. It compensates for attention deficits with its reading speed and "video game" like text display. For those with print disabilities such as dyslexia it compensates by eliminating the need for eye tracking across a page and "sounding out".

Learn more about RapidReader from the "Topics" below to assist you in making an informed decision about the benefits of RapidReader.

NOTE to educators, parents and special needs providers: Please contact us so we can arrange for a free download of training materials and content for you. Discover how incorporating RapidReader into the daily activities of your child or students can assist in "leveling the playing field" for them .

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What Limits Our Reading Speed: The Results From the Research

What are the factors that limit our reading speed? After considerable experimental evidence, the researchers concluded that the barriers to reading speed weren't in the human ability to process information but rather, in the mechanics of the method we use get the written information from the "page" to our brains. Their solution? By using technology, they simply altered the method of displaying the text to accommodate their findings. The result? The subjects were able to consistently read and comprehend 1600 words per minute! ¹ That's nearly 8 times the average reading speed. What was this new method? In effect they made the text into a movie and projected on a screen. By displaying the words one at a time in sequence, in the center of the visual field at a very high rate of speed, the subjects were able to accelerate their reading speed to many times their previous average. They did it without training of any sort. They simply sat back and "watched" the words. Their brains did the rest.

This came to be called Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP). What it showed, was that it didn't matter how we get the words to the brain, the brain would process the information and comprehend it. The way we actually read the word didn't matter. Reading speed was actually directly related to how fast we we were able to see the words. Even at 1600 words per minute, our brains have no trouble keeping up and comprehending.

RapidReader: The Practical Application of Clinical Research

RapidReader is the result of more than 10 years of research and development at SoftOlogy IdeaWorks to adapt these principles and create a software for enabling the computer to assist the reading process. In fact, the reading option that RapidReader offers couldn't have existed before the advent of the computer. Until recently, you really no choice in the reading process. You were forced to read the way our ancestors did. The RapidReader software gives you the option when you're onscreen, of reading in the traditional document view or of having the computer accelerate your reading speed for you. The choice is yours. The goal of development for the RapidReader software was simple. To create an application to do what all computer applications do, make an everyday task easier for you.

The RapidReader Difference:The Rhythm of Language

In addition to applying this research to everyday reading tasks, RapidReader invented a breakthrough concept; the patented "Human Cadence"™ technology. This is a critical advance in using the computer for accelerating reading speed in daily use. As you use RapidReader you will notice a cadence or rhythm of the display of the words. This display is carefully modulated to "time" the words so they are displayed in the rhythms of human speech. This makes comprehension easy, comfortable and natural even at very high speeds. As you'll see below, humans are "hard-wired" from birth to understand speech. And even before we understand words themselves, the rhythm of language is highly significant to our understanding of the context of what's being said.

The Barriers to Reading Speed: Eye Movement and Sounding Out

In the research conducted at Johns Hopkins University ¹ and elsewhere it was discovered that there were 2 primary factors slowing down your reading.

(NOTE: When reading on-screen, there is also another significant impediment to high reading speed: losing your place while scrolling)

Average Reading Speed

Average reading speed on paper: Between 150-250 words per minute
Average reading speed on a computer (with scrolling): 100-130 words per minute
Average reading speed on a hand held or mobile device: 40 words per minute

RapidReader and ADD/ ADHD:

ADD/ ADHD is difficult and frustrating for those who have it. It can also be a great challenge for parents, teachers, and classmates. RapidReader in the lab was shown to be effective in accelerating reading speed and comprehension in a group of students diagnosed with learning disabilities. Perhaps more importantly it's used every day by thousands of people in the real world to speed through their reading. It's inexpensive and its benefit is available to anyone with access to a computer. It's an easy to use software that can bring significant assistance in the management of ADD/ADHD.

The RapidReader Presentation of Text and Attention Span

While one of the hallmarks of ADD is distractibility the "flip-side" is the ability to "hyper-focus" on something of interest. For those with attention deficit disorder the ability to sit still and focus is often a very difficult challenge. At other times you may see this same person completely rapt with attention to what they're doing. This is a function of how stimulating the activity is. The challenge is to find a way to engage this innate capability for positive results.

RapidReader's active text display is an immersive experience, effortlessly enabling reading at very high speeds. The reader sees a flow of words presented in the way humans speak. One word after another is displayed in the center of the computer monitor like a movie. There is no need for eye tracking or scrolling. In effect you’re sitting back and "watching" the word flow to absorb the content. The reader has complete control of their own reading speed from 100-950 words per minute. What makes RapidReader unique is the patented Human Cadence display. This brings the words to you in the natural rhythm of human speech which in turn reinforces comprehension even at very high speeds. For those with ADD/ADHD RapidReader's speed and manner of presentation of reading material captures and helps maintain attention.

Attention and Retention:

Retaining what you've read is of course a function of paying attention to it in the first place. The research indicates that reading speed is limited by two important factors: the mechanics required to move our eyes across a page combined with a habit leftover from childhood of "sounding out" as we read. For an individual with an attention disorder these barriers can be truly formidable. Simply put, the slower you read the more difficult it is to concentrate on what you're reading. For those who have difficulty filtering out both mental and external distraction the slow pace of reading may itself be contributing to the lack of focus. At high reading speeds there is less "down time" for an active mind to wander. When you achieve greater attention the natural result is greater retention of what you’ve read.

"Leveling the Playing Field" in Real Life

Computers are becoming the norm for use in school. For students identified with a learning disability the requirement for "special needs" accommodations can result in uncomfortable and unwanted attention from classmates. RapidReader is unobtrusive and requires little or no supervision to use. It's easy to use for anyone familiar with a computer. With one click it can read almost any kind of electronic document or web page. Whether in school or at home RapidReader is a tool to compensate for an attention disorder but it's also a powerful time saver for helping any student keep up with classmates.

Download the Free Trial and see for yourself!

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RapidReader as an Assistive Technology for Dyslexia

There are numerous studies that show that dyslexia is not an impairment of intelligence. In fact many dyslexics excel at problem solving. This might be because of the need to be inventive to compensate for their disability. Many certainly have intelligence well above average yet they face a lifelong struggle with reading. For an agile mind the result is frustration and sometimes just giving up. Below you can read the results of a study where RapidReader provided significant reading speed and comprehension benefit for a group of college students with learning disabilities. RapidReader is a non-intrusive tool that can be used anywhere there's a computer or smartphone. It uniquely changes the way text is displayed to naturally assist in the decoding process and significantly accelerate reading with a movie like experience. In the next few paragraphs you’ll see why this method of display has profound benefit for a range of dyslexic symptoms.

Humans are “Hard-Wired” for Speech from Birth.

Science has known for more than 50 years that humans are "hard-wired" for speech. No one has to teach us how to talk, it's easy for us and we learn it naturally. In fact in a Study conducted at Dartmouth (Scientific American, Aug. 2002) babies between the age of 5 and 12 mos. showed that babbling (versus non-babbling like "ahh") is a deliberate activity, taking place in the language centers of the brain and the baby is, even at that early age, already on the path to speech. This means that most humans have no difficulty learning to speak. But reading is another matter altogether. It is not something we do naturally and during the process of learning to read lexical deficits can begin to interfere. One of these is dyslexia.

“Sounding-Out” and Learning to Read

We initially learn to read by matching a spoken word to the word symbol presented on the page. For instance a parent says "cat" and points to the word in a book. After enough repetitions we recognize the symbol for cat and associate it with a small furry thing that purrs. Later, other words are added to our vocabulary by learning to "sound out" the word. First we see the symbol and then decode it phonologically to "hear it" and then associate it with object it represents. In other words reading is still intimately associated with talking and listening. In the reading process, we are going through two significant steps to get meaning from the symbol. We see the symbol and then we associate the symbol with a VERBAL representation of the object which provides meaning. Eventually however the connection between the picture of the word and the thing it represents is made directly. Sounding out is unnecessary and burdensome and slows our reading speed. For those with dyslexia however it can have a much more negative effect on the ability to read fluently at all.

Phonological Dyslexia and "Sounding-Out"

One major category of dyslexia is called phonological dyslexia and is considered to be the most common . Phonological dyslexia is a defect in language processing (dysphonetic) rather than the visual system (dyseidetic). Typically the reader has no trouble seeing the words. It's the process of decoding text into meaningful phonemes during the "Sounding Out" process that's impaired. Consequently the syllables become jumbled as they’re decoded and the sound of the word makes no sense. Differentiating between similar words is also a challenge. All of these factors contribute to the enormous effort and time it takes for someone with dyslexia to decode and read across a page.

A Word is a Picture

As we learn, phonological decoding is useful only for words that are new to us. Once there is a fixed visual symbol of a given word associated with a particular meaning the process of "sounding out" is in fact redundant. Simply put a word is a picture. The collection of words we recognize from their symbol is our "sight vocabulary". We no longer need to verbalize to decode them from their phonemes. We can just SEE them and immediately we know what they are. In fact symbol recognition is literally almost instantaneous. Think of something like a STOP sign. When we see a stop sign we don't have to sound it out in our heads to know that we should put on the brakes. By eliminating the sounding out process, "removing the middle man" reading speed improves for every one. This is especially important for those with phonological dyslexia. For those individuals problem isn't the understanding of what the word means it's the unnecessary and difficult re-decoding of phonemes to arrive at a verbal representation of the symbol.

RapidReader helps eliminate "Sounding-Out" Altogether.

RapidReader's display accelerates the rate of reading well beyond the rate of speech and the comfort zone of "sounding out". It's simply too fast. In brain scans (fMRI) conducted using a Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) it was discovered that a completely different part of the brain took over the processing of words. The activity center became the visual cortex rather than the language processing centers. In other words the reader comprehended the text by seeing and understanding the meaning of the symbol directly rather than phonemic processing.

For Information on how to use RapidReader to build a more powerful sight vocabulary please click here

Dyseidetic Dyslexia: Visual Clutter

There are many types of dyslexia with different combinations of symptoms. Some symptoms present difficulty in the visual process of seeing and acquiring words. Some might see some letters as backwards or upside down or text may appear to be jumping around on a page. The letters and words might look all bunched together. In some cases there may a form of “halo effect" around the words or the words may appear as if they’re down a well. In addition to the density of words on a page causing a problem saccadic movement is required for finding the right word on a page. As you'll see below, these eye movements are actually a series of approximations in which the eyes narrow down the place to focus.For anyone reading is a pretty laborious task but if a person has dyseidetic symptoms the process is all the more tiring and readily produces eyestrain and headaches.

Dyslexia and The Laborious Trek Across the Page: Challenges of Eye Movement and Scanning:

Even though you may not be aware of it consciously, you're doing a lot of work when you read across a page. There is a demanding dance of coordination between the eye muscles, the optic nerve and the brain. Here's what's really going on..

If we looked at it in slow motion we'd see a constant process of moving, adjusting, and focusing our eyes for each word we read. Word after word after word. No wonder reading is a laborious process. Much slower that our brains ability to process the information. What they discovered at Hopkins was that by placing words in the center of the field of vision (the way we see the rest of the world), reading speed was dramatically accelerated because the tracking and focusing process was eliminated.

The RapidReader Display eliminates visual clutter

The RapidReader display inherently eliminates the need to move the eyes to locate the next word. In this way visual acuity is assisted with a fixed position of the text. Because of the single word presentation RapidReader can deliver the content to a clean, uncluttered screen with lots of clear space. The fonts are up to 800% larger than standard 12 point type. The word presentation is a soft yellow text on black to help prevent “halo effect” and reduce eyestrain.

Conclusion: An inexpensive way to help "level the playing field"

RapidReader offers an easy to use tool that's available with a single click whenever reading compensation is wanted. It provides benefit for those with phonological processing deficits as well as visual perceptive challenges. Simply put, RapidReader's combination of ease of use, reading comfort and accelerated speed can immediately compensate for dyslexic symptoms with just a little help from their computer.

Download the Free Trial and see for yourself!

 

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Appendix:

Quick Facts About RapidReader

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^1aWhy RapidReader Works: The Development of Technology to Accelerate Reading Speed on a Computer

RapidReader was built upon more than 10 years of research at institutions like Johns Hopkins University,¹ Xerox Park, University of Southern California and SoftOlogy IdeaWorks. This research focused on using technology to break down the barriers to reading speed. The general findings were that in the two things that limited reading speed; the mechanics of moving our eyes across a page as we look for the next word and sub-vocalization (“sounding out”) an artifact from early childhood learning. At SoftOlogy IdeaWorks this resulted in the development of software for an optimized computer display to address these issues.

RapidReader converts onscreen text into a comfortable “lean-back” viewing experience. It automatically brings the words into view without the need for eye movement across a page or scrolling (another factor slowing reading speed on a computer).

A reduction in sub-vocalization occurs as the reading speed exceeds a comfortable speaking rate. In brain scans conducted as part of research at Hopkins the recognition of the word when presented as a discrete, individual symbol bypasses the Broca and Wernicke language centers of the brain and are processed directly in the visual cortex. In other words the brain at high reading speeds treats the word as a recognizable symbol that has a particular meaning. As a result of the change in the display modality this is accomplished naturally with the same speed and cognitive value as when we recognize a road sign. Because we are no longer referencing a stored sound for meaning the tendency to sub-vocalize is greatly diminished.

^2a The RapidReader Free Library:

SoftOlogy IdeaWorks created the RapidReader Free Library to provide a central repository for links and materials for use with RapidReader. The Library contains a compendium of links to news, magazines and academic and professional journals.The majority of the material contained can be read in RapidReader either through the web browser or as a document downloadable in PDF or MS. Word.

The Library also includes a growing collection of RapidReader Editions which are e-books formatted and optimized for reading with RapidReader. Currently the collection includes more than 300 classic and contemporary books. Many of these books are frequently assigned in college and high school as required reading assignments. RapidReader Editions are available for PC, Mac and Mobile platforms and are free to download and distribute.

Visit the RapidReader Free Library

 

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References

Vision Research
Volume 32, Issue 5, May 1992, Pages 895-902

Abstract

Reading without saccadic eye movements

Gary S. Rubin* and Kathleen Turano*

*Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, U.S.A.

To assess the limitation on reading speed imposed by saccadic eye movements, we measured reading speed in 13 normally-sighted observers using two modes of text presentations: PAGE text which presents an entire passage conventionally in static, paragraph format, and rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) which presents text sequentially, one word at a time at the same location in the visual field. In Expt 1, subjects read PAGE and RSVP text orally across a wide range of letter sizes (2X to 32X single-letter acuity) and reading speed was computed from the number of correct words read per minute. Reading speeds were consistently faster for RSVP compared to PAGE text at all letter sizes tested. The average speeds for text of an intermediate letter size (8X acuity) were 1171 words/min for RSVP and 303 words/min for PAGE text. In Expt 2 subjects read PAGE and RSVP text silently and a multiple-choice comprehension test was administered after each passage. All subjects continued to read RSVP text faster, and 6 subjects read at the maximum testable rate (1652 words/min) with at least 75% correct on the comprehension tests. Experiment 3 assessed the minimum word exposure time required for decoding text using RSVP to minimize potential delays due to saccadic eye movement control. Successive words were presented for a fixed duration (word duration) with a blank interval (ISI) between words. The minimum word duration required for accurate oral reading averaged 69.4 msec and was not reduced by increasing ISI. We interpret these results as an indication that the programming and execution of saccadic eye movements impose an upper limit on conventional reading speed.

Keywords: Reading; Eye movements; Saccades
References

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Monica S. Castelhano, M.S., Muter P. (2001) Optimizing the reading of electronic text using rapid serial visual presentation.
Behaviour & Information Technology. Vol. 20, No. 4, 237-247

Aaronsn, D. and Colet, E., (1997) Reading paradigms: From lab to cyberspace?
Behavior Research Methods, Instruments and Computers, 29 (2), 250-255 .

EXCERPT FROM:

Reading paradigms: From lab to cyberspace?
Aaronsn, D. and Colet, E. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments and Computers, 29 (2), 250-255 .

...One of the most promising methods is called Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP). It was first used in the mid-1960s for rapidly displaying individual words, one at a time, in the center of a monitor's screen. Each new word replaced the old word. Users set the rate that the computer presented the words. This approach has demonstrated a capacity to substantially improve reading speed.

In the 1999 User Interface Update course (see below), the RSVP method is used to illustrate how quickly reading performance can be improved. In one class the average reading speed from a paper document... had a range from 143 to 540 words-per-minute. After determining the basic reading rate, the class members read material presented on the screen, one word at a time, at 600, then 800, then 1,000, then 1,300, and finally at 1,600 words-per-minute. After each set of reading material, the students answered multiple choice questions about the text.

The top reading speeds were as follows for measured comprehension scores of 75% or higher:

* 1,600 wpm --3 people
* 1,300 wpm --8 people
* 1,000 wpm --3 people
* 800 wpm --0 (nobody)
* 600 wpm --2 people

The average for the class was 1212 wpm, which is about 3.5 times faster than reading in the traditional way. There is no question that the computer can help improve reading performance; but it must be done in non-traditional ways.

 

³Legge, G.E., Ross, J.A., Maxwell, K.T., & Luebker, A. (1989). Psychophysics of Reading. VII. Comprehension in Normal And Low Vision. Clinical Vision Sciences, 4, 51-60.

⁴ Beckmann, P.J. & Legge, G.E. (1996). Psychophysics of Reading. XIV. The Page-Navigation Problem in Using Magnifiers. Vision Research, 36, 3723-3733.

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The Study

Reading Comprehension Comparison Between Reading on Paper and Using the RapidReader Computer Display for a Population Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder and/or Dyslexia.

Background:

It is estimated that up to 15% of the student population in western society suffer from some form of learning disability. Recent studies have shown that up to 60% of the children in the US with problems of this nature go undiagnosed. For those that are fortunate enough to get help, it's often only in the form of medication, which while often of great benefit doesn't help the student with new skills to build confidence and tools to cope with the extra demands they face.

The most common of these disorders are the various forms of Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) but often included under the same umbrella are gifted children bored at the pace of the class. For millions of students and their parents the impact of these disorders can be devastating. For the child, the desire to learn... something instinctive in all children, gradually turns to dread as their confidence erodes in repeated classroom failure. For parents there is often a sense of helplessness as they watch their child struggle. What's needed is more and different kinds of assistive technology. RapidReader is one such tool that shows great promise in helping kids and adults cope with learning disabilities.

The following is a brief summary of a joint study conducted at the University of Southern California where students diagnosed with a range of learning disabilities were given standardized reading comprehension tests. A comparison was then made between the test performance results when the student read the material in paper form versus reading at a generally greater rate of reading speed using RapidReader on a computer screen. The results as you will see below were very gratifying. It has been suggested that the significant improvement in comprehension may be due to the words being processed in a different part of the brain. Brain scans performed as parts of various studies involving RSVP* indicate that the processing of text at high speed bypasses the "speech areas" and is processed as symbols in the visual cortex. For those with learning challenges benefit may also accrue from the increased focus and attention paid to dynamically moving text display. In any case, the results indicate that RapidReader may offer substantial benefit for this population of students.

It is important to note that the purpose of the study was to establish the efficacy of a particular product that can be put into everyday use and provide a measure of improvement for those with identified learning disabilities. RapidReader was designed and built based on the findings of a range of studies regarding reading techniques. The product goal was to incorporate that science into a practical delivery solution. It was not the purpose of the study to re-confirm well established science but rather to confirm the ability to deliver the benefits with a software application.

Overview

During the course of hundreds of product demonstrations and through the process of development of RapidReader¨ we at SoftOlogy™ began to encounter an intriguing and wonderful body of anecdotal evidence; RapidReader appears to have an immediate benefit for individuals who identified themselves as having been diagnosed as dyslexic or ADD/ADHD. For many ADD adults, and parents of ADD children it was a profound discovery that explained so much about the struggles encountered in the world of school and work. It was particularly gratifying for SoftOlogy IdeaWorks to learn that RapidReader could offer a powerful assist to those who have struggled with reading and learning from text.

SoftOlogy commissioned an external pilot study, to be conducted at the University of Southern California into whether RapidReader offered a true quantifiable benefit to those diagnosed with Dyslexia and/or ADD/ADHD. We are pleased to present the very encouraging results of this admittedly preliminary study. But as our mission is to provide a computer enhanced learning environment, the decision was made to make this aspect of the efficacy of RapidReader for special populations known even as more extensive study continues into the question of "why" RapidReader works. It is our hope that over time we can contribute some additional science to the body of knowledge regarding the mechanisms of learning disabilities. In the mean time we offer a software display methodology, inexpensive and installable on most Windows and Mac OS X computers that appears from the evidence to offer a real world benefit to those children and adults who are identified as "learning disabled".

The Study:

In brief:
The study was a within-group repeated measures design n=26. Two editions of the Nelson-Denny Standardized Reading Comprehension Test were used as the measure of change. The subject group was a mixture of college students who had been diagnosed with Dyslexia and/or ADD/ADHD and were all capable readers of English. The test compared the subjects comprehension level when reading the test material in print on paper in their normal fashion to reading comparable test material using the RapidReader¨ methodology on a the computer screen.

Highlights of Results

Conclusion

While the study is the first of many planned, the indications are that RapidReader will add benefit to the individual with dyslexia and/or ADD ADHD. Perhaps the most important finding is the high degree to which the subjects themselves believe that consistent use of this methodology will result in an improvement in their reading ability.

Other Considerations:

Limits on user control to prevent confounding factors:
In the experimental situation the intent was to capture an objective measure of reading comprehension when compared between two forms of text display. In that regard, in order to eliminate as many variables as possible, all interface capabilities were disabled which would normally be available as user selections in the release version of RapidReader. The differences between the commercial product and experimental situation include: