Please help: laptop or chromebook for dyslexic?

[BungledBundle]

Hello, ds12 is at a private school which uses microsoft word, excel etc for homework. He is dyslexic and not at all good with tech (not sure if this is linked).

I have just ordered him a chromebook which is what his sister managed with, but she is more technical and converted docs to google docs/sheets worked on them, and converted back to word/excel etc.

I understand I can get office 365 for DS on his chromebook, but now wondering if for total simplicity, I should buy him a cheap laptop instead and pay for proper word/excel, or I think he could download the school's version onto a laptop. (I haven't collected chromebook yet and checked with the salesperson I could bring back/swap, which I can.)

Any thoughts on which would be more simple for DS but not break the bank? I think you can get a cheap laptop for £200-300 these days? He is not interested in gaming etc so it would just be for schoolwork.

I did a lot of research for my DD having a high resolution screen is really important for the visual processing aspect of dyslexia.

Thanks, @Lonecatwithkitten . That's something I hadn't considered, weirdly, but makes a lot of sense. Is your DD ok with tech generally? My ds just hates the preciseness of it all: exact letters & hyphens in email addresses, ordering files etc.

My child is dyslexic and uses a Chromebook. You can download the open dyslexic plug in and it converts all the text on the screen.

My DD is dyslexic and we have a Chromebook that her primary school encouraged us to buy, but she now can't use the regular laptops they use at high school.

I honestly hate the Chromebook, they are rubbish! Don't work like either a laptop or a tablet, both of which I find easier to use. I'm quite annoyed that the primary school were pushing them so hard.

Impossible to scroll down, no right click function, really difficult to move between applications... They should be banned. 😬

@BungledBundle my daughter is good with tech and touch types as laptop became her method of working from year 9 onwards. In year 12 she switched to a Mac as she has gone into performing arts and Macs are more suitable for video editing and music.
Having just started Uni we have been through the Disabled Student Allowance system this summer and the vast majority of their support is tech based so it is worth getting used to now.

Chromebooks do have a right click function - you press both buttons together!

Unfortunately @BungledBundle it's so individual that we can't say - she might be fine or she might struggle with it. Fwiw, I found mine very simple and easy to use but the updates stopped and it for very slow and laggy!

Can you take her to Currys and let her have a play with the display models? I know it won't give you a total picture but might help see which she prefers?

Thanks, everyone. Agree it's personal. I think I will 'return' the chromebook and go for a budget laptop (haven't collected it yet, just ordered to store).

Just thought I'd get a better chromebook for the budget than a laptop. But then DS will really only be doing the basics on it I think so perhaps I don't need to worry. Thanks for your help.

I know @QuestionableMouse , but why on earth is it not a right click? I've had to Google it twice, which is easier said than done on a Chromebook. 😂

Have you investigated specialist software and what that works on? DS uses something called Read and Write Gold which DSA assessment pre-university identified for him. The key was the gold background, the films/coloured glasses didn't work for him.

We tried a laptop for DD who is Y9 and severely dyslexic.

Have now gone with a iPad with a keyboard and e-pen. She has Office 365 installed as well.

Cheaper, lighter weight and works brilliantly. Also means she can use the camera function to photograph the board or handouts and then annotate them using the pen.

Would not go back to a laptop unless it was a mac for software reasons (she does a lot of creative subjects so ultimately will probably want a mac).

DS1 is in yr7 and using a chrome book. That is working well for him, he used iPad + separate keyboard in yrs 4-5 then in yr6 moved to chrome book. Also in private school which goes to yr8, I think he will move to a laptop in his next school as that seems to be their preferred option.

Dts are dyslexic and have chrome books. They are SHIT.

We're upgrading to laptops.

Thanks everyone, this is all very helpful. @Velvian your comment made me laugh! Now I feel bad for my dd who has put up with a chromebook, panic-bought 2 days before lockdown.