Writing and Understanding with Symbols: Using SymWriter at School

How symbolic writing software can support students with autism, language difficulties, and SEN in primary and secondary schools.

In many classes, students "know things" but are stumped by a written assignment . The text is too dense, the assignments unclear, and the writing is more of a hindrance than a tool. In these cases, simplification isn't enough. What's needed is a bridge between words, meaning, and understanding .

This is where SymWriter comes in , a symbolic writing software designed for inclusion.

What is SymWriter

SymWriter is a software developed by Widgit that allows you to:

• write texts automatically accompanied by symbols

• adapt school materials

• support written comprehension and production

Each word you type can be associated with a Widgit symbol, creating visually accessible and customizable text.

Who is it particularly useful for?

SymWriter is indicated for:

• students with autism spectrum disorder

• language and communication difficulties

• cognitive BES

• students with difficulty understanding the text

• students who benefit from Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

It can be used:

• in primary school

• in middle school

• in inclusive classes with very heterogeneous levels

Because it is a support tool (not just "AAC")

SymWriter isn't just a compensatory tool. It's an access tool .

It allows the student to:

• understand deliveries

• follow a text shared by the class

• produce written content, even simple ones

• participate without being excluded from the educational flow

For the support teacher it means mediating the language , not simplifying it infinitely.

Operational Sheet – SymWriter at School

Area of intervention

• language

• text comprehension

• written production

• communication

Educational objectives

• support understanding of deliveries

• promote written expression

• reduce frustration and withdrawal

• increase participation and autonomy

How to use

• adaptation of common texts (history, science, geography)

• guided writing (sentences, short texts, answers)

• construction of shared visual materials

Role of the support teacher

• select key vocabulary

• decide when to use symbols (not always, not everywhere)

• accompany the transition symbols → words

Inclusive arrangement

Symbols must not become a cage : they should be used as a temporary or targeted support, not as a permanent replacement for language.

Three concrete examples of use in the classroom

1. Accessible deliveries

The exercise assignment is rewritten in SymWriter:

• short text

• key symbols

• clear structure

The student works on the same assignment , not a different one.

2. Guided written production

The student:

• writes sentences with symbolic support

• rereads

• verbalize with the adult

Writing becomes possible, not avoided.

3. Shared materials

Creation of:

• schemes

• class rules

• visual maps

The materials become accessible to everyone , not just “for the BES student”.

SymWriter and true inclusion

Used well, SymWriter:

• does not isolate

• no label

• does not lower the level

But it opens up access to content , which is the real goal of inclusion.

Limits to know

• requires a conscious choice of vocabulary

• It should not be used automatically on every text

• requires minimal teacher training

But precisely for this reason it is a tool that grows with the educational project , it does not replace it.

Conclusion

Inclusion isn't about making everything easier. It's about making everything accessible .

SymWriter allows you to work on language, comprehension, and participation without separating, infantilizing, or renouncing complexity.

If digital is to be a tool for equity, this is one of the most concrete examples.

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