Communicate: SymWriter

Ideal for simple word/symbol processing for emergent writers, SymWriter 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. The program includes over 8,000 Widgit Literacy Symbols in colour and black and white and 1,500 Widgit Pictures (clip art and photographs), or you can add your own.

SymWriter makes writing easier with the aid of grids and buttons, in text, text and symbol, or symbol formats. This helps support those who cannot write text but can write using symbols, and text writers with a limited vocabulary. It’s easy to create grids and buttons and position them wherever you like.

The program can speak out individual letters, words and sentences as they are created, or read back whole documents. 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.

New ‘smart’ symbolising technology enables more accurate symbolisation of text, with less need for manual corrections. SymWriter works in multiple languages and other language databases will be available in the future, along with curriculum resources.