ArithmeType

For decades, typing math on both conventional laptop keyboards and on-screen keyboards has been an uphill struggle for students completing their math assignments. Key placement, shift keys, alt codes, and shifting screens can all muddle the input and output of math, making learning difficult, especially for special needs students grappling with motor, visual, or neurological challenges.

Shannon Canas, founder and CEO of ArithmeType, has addressed this long-standing need by creating a novel marketready product: ArithmeType. A math input solution, ArithmeType is available both as a hardware plug-and-play keyboard and a user-friendly app. It simplifies mathematical typing by logically organizing all necessary characters based on grade levels, providing a seamless experience from basic arithmetic to advanced algebra. In addition, the app covers symbols through calculus. Overall, it is perfectly designed to fit how a special needs student learns and does math and is also expanded to help other students.

“Our goal is to give the power of typing math simply for students,” says Canas.

The hardware keyboard is universally compatible with all computer operating systems, ensuring seamless functionality across websites, documents, extensions, add-ons, and PDF editors, with rare exceptions. Sensory issues are addressed by section covers to visually block keys a student may not need yet, highcontrast colors, and mechanical key presses with auditory clicks, making mathematical typing more comfortable and impactful for special needs students.

The iOS application that emulates the physical keyboard maintains the same layout but offers pop-ups to enhance navigation compared to other math apps. These pop-ups offer a straightforward way to find needed symbols without getting lost in screen changes. For example, if x exponent 8 is needed, you push x, then the ^ popup menu offers numbers 0-9. After the 8 key is chosen, the popup closes, and the student is back on the home screen. The app version is also universally compatible like the hardware keyboard, featuring the globe icon keyboard change option (unless the particular site has a built-in, unchangeable keyboard such as select math websites). It is well-suited with VoiceOver, Eyegaze, and Switch controls as well. Activating the iPad’s speech feature and auditory click can provide an added layer of sensory input for users. These features help students easily find and use necessary symbols without struggling with complex screen changes.

The keyboard is also thoughtfully designed to cater to the needs of students facing challenges such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Disability, Neurological Disorders, Visual Impairment, and more. A user can simply plug it into their computer's USB port and flip the keyboard over to find a list of supported operating systems on the back, each accompanied by a small button. The individual can then double-click the corresponding button to synchronize it with their computer's operating system.

The subsequent steps may vary depending on the computer type. For Chrome or Linux users, the process is straightforward, and the person will be all set to start typing math. If it is a MacBook or Mac OS, one can find a guideline file on the website that facilitates Unicode recognition, ensuring accurate interpretation of mathematical language on the computer. Windows users, on the other hand, can download Win Compose to enable their computer to recognize mathematical language. Following these simple steps, individuals can effortlessly type mathematical expressions on any website or extension document.

Canas’s inspiration to create such an innovative product stemmed from her nonverbal autistic son Shaun to address his challenges in typing and math. Shaun's difficulty with a standard laptop keyboard hindered his academic progress until he discovered typing at age 12. She perfected the design to cater specifically to autistic special needs students but also incorporated features like high-contrast keys for the visually impaired. As a result, Shaun became significantly more independent in typing his math homework and began to excel in geometry, advanced algebra, and pre-calculus with straight A’s.

Our goal is to give the power of typing math simply to all students

The family, including Canas, her husband George being the financial backer, and her daughters (Taylor and Melina) and sons, Shaun and Ethan, played pivotal roles in the product's development. The architectural hands behind this product are mainly from Canas’s family, including herself. Shaun has also played a crucial role in shaping the design of the product, while Ethan contributes to product modification. Canas's daughter Taylor specializing in cinema and media studies contributed to audio visuals, while another daughter Melina assists during conferences and exhibitions showcasing the keyboard.

Besides the family members, Canas has collaborated with Shawn, a talented electrical engineer, whose expertise was instrumental in developing the current form of the keyboard. The support of software engineers at Noesis Labs was invaluable, particularly in creating the accompanying app and implementing math pages on the website. The math pages currently feature addition, subtraction, and graphing functionalities, with plans to expand to multiplication and division—all of which will be offered for free.

In late January, ArithmeType will be participating in the Assistive Technology Conference (ATIA), recognized as the world's largest event of its kind. The primary goal is to promote awareness of the keyboard on a national and international scale, providing attendees with a hands-on experience to try out the product. This represents a key initiative for the upcoming year, alongside an intensified marketing strategy.

“For 2024, we are excited to announce the development of a calculus keyboard accessory. This accessory is designed to complement our existing hardware keyboard, covering all necessary keys and symbols for calculus levels one through three,” says Canas.

Future enhancements include PDF uploads and the incorporation of MathQuill language for easier representation of students' work on PDF worksheets. MathQuill is a markup language similar to what Desmos and Delta Math use, producing visually appealing results while typing, such as a fraction with a horizontal bar, numerator, and denominator.

Individuals interested in purchasing the ArithmeType keyboard can visit the official company website for online orders or place orders from schools.