pressemitteilungen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Fern Marcya Edison, Ericho Communications
845.679.6319 *fern@erichopr.com
Announcing WordQ+SpeakQ 3.0 Assistive Writing Software…
Program is the first and only integrated
Word Prediction and Speech Recognition tool
designed for struggling writers
**Company Offering Free License to Professionals and Grad Students ($279 value)
(Dover, New Hampshire; December 6, 2010) Text-driven knowledge and writing are today’s social currency. Millions are held back from achieving their potential in school, the workplace and their personal lives because of their writing disabilities. It’s estimated that approximately 15% of students are diagnosed with learning differences. For many, writing can be a painful, embarrassing process. It hurts to hear “This doesn’t make any sense, you need to fix this!” and “Aren’t you finished yet?” Fortunately, state-of-the-art assistive software now allows users to combine their strengths to compensate for their writing weaknesses.
According to the Albuquerque Journal, ten-year-old 4th grader Darius Kessler “knows that WordQ…helps him read and write in ways he never could before. His mother, teachers and occupational therapist say that program has given him a voice.” Sarah King, AT/Special Education Department, Laramie County Schools (Cheyenne, WY)–whose entire district has purchased WordQ+SpeakQ– recently raved, “This is the best thing we have ever done!,” after a demonstration of the software attracted hundreds of students and faculty.
WordQ+SpeakQ (http://www.goqsoftware.com/) software bundle is the first and only integrated word prediction and speech recognition tool available, designed for students (from 2nd grade to college) and others who struggle with writing. It was developed by a research team led by Dr. Fraser Shein of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.
Neil MacGregor–who has battled his own learning disabilities since childhood and has coached hundreds of students with learning differences to use the software–is the company’s VP of Learner Development. MacGregor explains, “We’re so confident that our package provides what no other software on the market does, and with the level of our customer satisfaction, that we’re offering complimentary licenses –a $279 value. This offer is being made to all AT, OT and SLP professionals whose job it is to know about assistive software, as well as to all graduate students who are future professionals in these fields.” (AT=Assisted Technology; OT=Occupational Therapy; SLP=Speech Language Pathology. **To find out if you qualify for a complimentary professional license, go to http://www.goqsoftware.com/learning-center/helpers/.)
WordQ is an application that provides additional functionality to popular writing applications, including WORD PREDICTION (suggesting words that change depending on the context) and SPOKEN FEEDBACK that allows users to hear their mistakes (i.e., run-on sentences, spelling and punctuation errors). SpeakQ is a plug-in that builds on and enhances WordQ’s functions, adding SPEECH RECOGNITION (speech-to-text functionality), which is designed to be tolerant of mild speech imperfections and accents. Within minutes of getting started (no reading is required for training!), this easy-to-master writing tool assists the user with word choices, spelling, grammar, punctuation, proofreading, and more. Designed to be more forgiving than other programs, the result is more success for users.
KEY BENEFITS of WordQ+SpeakQ:
WordQ is a simple but masterfully designed writing aid that helps struggling writers, regardless of age or writing ability. (For PC and Mac)
- Learns which words you like and predicts them faster
- Predicts words even if they are spelled creatively or missing parts
- Offers a list of words with similar meaning to add variety to your writing
- Uses clear and pleasant speech feedback
- Gives examples for words that sound similar by using them in a sentence
- Reads aloud any text you can highlight, including websites, emails and messaging
- Reads exactly what you write, so poor grammar sounds off and bad punctuation disrupts the rhythm
- Helps only as much as you need with functions that easily turn on or off
- Lets you modify word prediction to use specific vocabulary or topics
- Abbreviation Expansion converts your acronyms to full text to save on typing time
- Works with all commonly-used programs
- Now includes English, French, Spanish and German
SpeakQ plug-in complements WordQ by adding forgiving speech recognition to the mix. Write better by mixing talking and typing! Designed for those who struggle with other dictation software. (For PC)
- Lets you type the words you know and speak the ones you don’t
- Can write everything you say from single words to entire paragraphs
- Offers suggestions for words you have difficulty pronouncing
- Train it to understand your voice, with no reading required
- No voice commands to remember
- Allows you to mix typing and speaking for best results
About goQ:
goQ is an international literacy software entity specializing in high-quality products, customer service and training. The entity is comprised of Quillsoft (developers of WordQ+ SpeakQ), Strategic Transitions Inc. (global distributor) and ST4 Learning Inc. (U.S. distributor).