However, across all these studies it was difficult to draw firm conclusions due to the diversity of disabilities, age span, technology devices, and lack of replication. Strangman and Hall (2003) identified 13 studies related to the effectiveness of TTS software.
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Balajthy (2005) reviewed the impact of text-to-speech (TTS) software with struggling readers reporting mixed results across various populations from improvements in comprehension depending on student ability level to poorer results for better readers.
The results supported improvement in skills such as comprehension, decoding, and fluency. Eight of the studies investigated reading skills. Twelve of those studies addressed the content areas of math, spelling, or writing. In a meta-analysis of 68 studies Alper and Raharinirina (2006) identified only 20 that evaluated the effectiveness of AT on the basic academic skills of reading, math, spelling, and writing. Despite these mandates, only limited research has been conducted on the effectiveness of AT to improve student achievement outcomes (Edyburn, 2003, 2007a) with contradictory results (Sorrell, Bell, & McCallum, 2007 Strangman & Dalton, 2005). Now educators are required to use evidence-based interventions with proven effectiveness. The inclusion of special education student achievement within the accountability of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 raised the level of concern. The 19 reauthorizations of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandated that AT devices and services be considered for each student with a disability when developing an Individualized Education Plan. Particularly, in these times of fiscal restraint educators are becoming acutely aware of the need to substantiate effective outcomes and wise allocation of resources. In recent years there had been increased interest in the evaluation of the implementation and effectiveness of assistive technology (AT).
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