How Texas schools are making writing accessible for all with Clicker
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Students with physical impairments are often locked out of writing tasks, not because they lack ideas, but because traditional tools create unnecessary barriers.
In Texas, two specialists set out to change that.
Brittany Wille is an occupational therapist for Magnolia ISD. For the last eight years, she has supported students from kindergarten to high school.
Kellie Martini has worked as an assistive technology specialist for Dripping Springs ISD for almost twenty years.
They shared with us how they have been using Clicker to make writing accessible and meaningful for every student.
What Brittany and Kellie hoped to achieve with Clicker
Accessibility was a key concern across both districts. In Magnolia ISD, Brittany has worked with many students who have physical impairments. She needed a solution that would allow them to participate fully in the classroom and access the curriculum.
In Dripping Springs, Kellie was looking for a program that would support diverse learners, particularly those who have access needs. She wanted to ensure that her students had a variety of ways to show what they know.
Their shared goal was simple: ensure every student has a way to succeed in writing.
What makes Clicker a game-changer for inclusion
Across both districts, the adaptability and range of resources available in Clicker were key to its success.
Both Brittany and Kellie highlighted the accessibility options for students with physical impairments, which broke down barriers that had previously prevented many students from writing.
“What makes Clicker a game-changer is the accessibility for our students with physical impairments. […] We love that it's very customizable for each one of our students.” - Brittany Wille, Occupational Therapist for Magnolia ISD
“I think Clicker offers such a great variety of options which is key for our students. […] You have the ability to really individualize the learning experience and offer different ways for students to engage with learning.” - Kellie Martini, Assistive Technology Specialist for Dripping Springs ISD
The software offers a range of options for learners with physical barriers to writing, including:
- Compatibility with switch access and eye gaze technology
- An accessible on-screen keyboard
- Customizable font size, colors, and backgrounds for learners with low vision
(You can watch our easy-to-follow tutorial on the accessibility options here)
Brittany also noted that the variety of resources on LearningGrids made it easy to adapt learning from student to student.
“We love that we can customize Clicker so that it can go alongside other curriculums, as well as utilizing LearningGrids to help them participate.” - Brittany Wille
When working with writing grids for instance, her students could move between Sentence Sets which offer the most support, to Connect Sets that provide more choices, to Word Banks which offer spelling and vocabulary support but require learners to form sentences independently.
This meant that learners with different levels of literacy development could work with the support they needed, without teachers having to create separate resources or pathways.
(You can learn more about how the resources on LearningGrids support adaptive teaching here)
The impact on students
Brittany saw notable progress among students with autism. Features like Word Banks and picture support reduced the cognitive load of writing, helping students break tasks into manageable steps and build confidence.
Students especially loved the Predictor, a tool that reduces keystrokes and helps them continue writing when they’re stuck by suggesting the next word in a sentence.
“I’ve had some students even say that they are so thankful for word prediction. It helps them organize everything.” - Brittany Wille
For Kellie, the impact of Clicker was most visible in a high school functional academics classroom. The students in this class struggled with pen and paper, which had prevented them from truly engaging with writing. Clicker’s accessibility options and writing support tools allowed them to develop their skills as authors and write more than ever before.
“We saw them progress from writing nothing at all, or maybe one sentence, to writing paragraphs and really enjoying the process of being an author.” - Kellie Martini
What Brittany and Kellie would say to other schools considering Clicker
“I would say try it! I don’t know of another product that does what Clicker does. Especially for our students who are working at an alternate level, who need different ways to access the learning materials.” - Kellie Martini
“I would tell schools that that we’re a big fan of Clicker here at Magnolia ISD. It really helps our students participate and access the curriculum at an individual need level.” - Brittany Wille
Clicker is helping schools remove barriers, support diverse learners, and make writing accessible for every student.
If you’d like to learn more about the impact Clicker has had on writing in Texas, you can read this previous success story from Kellie’s district.
To find out more about how Clicker can support students in the classroom, you can read these blog posts:
