Communicate: SymWriter

AGE RANGE: Adult

The interactive communication activity designer. The exciting successor to Writing with Symbols 2000

Assisting Writing
Communicate: SymWriter provides the perfect tool for simple word and symbol processing for emergent writers. It enables users to see the meaning of words as they write. The symbols appear automatically in a side panel, illustrating the word just typed or chosen. Non-keyboard users can write in very flexible ways by selecting from grids and buttons.
SymWriter comes with over 8,000 Widgit Literacy Symbols, in colour and black & white. You can also drop pictures on to the page using the symbol browser. Use any of the 1,500 Widgit Pictures (clip art and photographs) supplied with the program or access images from anywhere on your computer.
See the meaning of words as you write . Drop in images from the 1,500 Widgit Pictures

Write by Selecting from Grids and Button
SymWriter makes writing easier with the aid of grids and buttons. These can be created in text, text & symbol or symbol formats. This means that SymWriter can support those who cannot write text but that can write using symbols, and text writers with a limited vocabulary.
Position grids and buttons wherever you like, ready to send to the document or carry out actions. You can use the ready-made function buttons or design your own. You can even add backgrounds to buttons and grids.

Speech and Pictorial Spell Checker
Speech feedback can be used to speak individual letters, words and sentences as they are created, or to hear whole documents read back. The pictorial spell checker helps users understand the meaning of selected words by illustrating them with symbols, whether or not you are using symbols in the finished document.

Smart Symbolising
Communicate: SymWriter is the first program from Widgit to use our new smart symbolising technology. This enables more accurate symbolisation of text, with less need for manual corrections.
SymWriter can work in multiple languages and other language databases will be available in the future. The program can easily switch between languages, even within the same document.

Wide Range of Purposes
Adult Users
Increase the involvement and motivation of adult users by creating visual strategies, such as behaviour charts and signage, or organisational tools, such as personal plans and shopping lists.

Educational Settings
We are developing a range of curriculum resources to support Communicate: SymWriter. These will extend the paper-based curriculum materials available for In Print by providing a range of complementary screen-based activities.

Communication Devices
Activities can be designed specifically to support users with Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) devices or users with physical difficulties who use switches.

Making Activities
Making your own grids and activities is easy. As well as supporting written text with the Widgit Symbols, you can add your own pictures to words or change the text for a symbol.
Toolbars are fully configurable to allow different levels of use and they can be resized to meet individual preferences.

Recommended System Requirements
Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP
Pentium processor (450MHz min)
32MB RAM min, preferably 64MB and Sound Card.br>
Please contact the office on 0845 644 1712 regarding multiple licenses.