User Profiles
Pre-configured accessibility settings for different learning needs — ADHD, dyslexia, low vision, and more.
What Are User Profiles?
User Profiles are pre-configured bundles of settings optimised for specific needs. Instead of adjusting 39 supports individually, apply a profile with one click.
AssisT ships with 12 built-in profiles. Seven of them also switch Speech-to-Text on and select one of the seven speech-to-text engine profiles. A dictation profile sets how many alternative words the recogniser offers, whether you see words as you speak, and which voice commands it listens for.
Quick access: Go to Advanced options → Preferences → Profile Management, click one of the six quick presets and confirm.
Available Profiles
A profile replaces the settings of every feature it lists, including your chosen voice and spacing, and switches off the features it sets to off. Save your own setup as a custom profile first.
Default
Best for: Starting again with the main supports switched off
| Feature | Setting |
|---|---|
| Read Aloud | Off (speed, pitch and volume 1.0, highlighting on) |
| Text Customisation | Off |
| Reading Guide | Off |
| Focus Mode | Off |
| Screen Color Overlay | Off |
| Canvas, Moodle and Google Classroom helpers | Off |
How it helps: Switches the supports above off. A fresh install has the Canvas, Moodle and Google Classroom helpers on, so applying Default turns those off too. It leaves your other settings alone.
ADHD Focus
Best for: Staying on task, reducing distractions, maintaining momentum
| Feature | Setting |
|---|---|
| Read Aloud | On, 1.2x with word-by-word highlighting |
| Text Customisation | On, Lexend |
| Reading Guide | On, blue line |
| Simplified Interface | Moderate |
| Reading Progress Bar | On, with the percentage shown |
| Pomodoro Timer | On, 25 / 5 / 15 minutes, breaks start automatically, sound on |
| Auto-play Blocking | On |
| STT Profile | Speech-to-Text on, simple voice commands |
How it helps: The Pomodoro timer creates structured work periods. The progress bar shows how far you’ve read. Simplified Interface removes visual clutter.
Autism Comfort
Best for: Predictable behaviour, sensory comfort, calm environment
| Feature | Setting |
|---|---|
| Read Aloud | On, 0.9x |
| Text Customisation | On |
| Screen Color Overlay | Warm cream tint at 15% |
| Simplified Interface | Aggressive |
| Reading Progress Bar | On, purple |
| Pomodoro Timer | On, 30 / 10 / 20 minutes, sound off |
| Reduced Motion | On |
| Auto-play Blocking | On |
| STT Profile | Speech-to-Text on, literal voice commands with the “do” prefix, words shown only once final |
How it helps: Removes unexpected animations and sounds, and the timer does not beep. Creates a consistent, calming visual environment.
Dyslexia Support
Best for: Easier reading, tracking lines, phonetic support
| Feature | Setting |
|---|---|
| Read Aloud | On, 1.0x with word-by-word highlighting |
| Text Customisation | On, OpenDyslexic, letter spacing 0.12em, word spacing 0.16em |
| Reading Guide | On, black line |
| Screen Color Overlay | Soft Yellow at 20% |
| Simplified Interface | Light |
| Reading Progress Bar | On, blue, with the percentage shown |
| STT Profile | Speech-to-Text on, three alternative words offered, simple voice commands |
How it helps: OpenDyslexic font reduces letter confusion. The reading guide helps maintain place, and the soft yellow tint takes the glare off a white page.
Low Vision
Best for: Easier tracking and seeing the text clearly
| Feature | Setting |
|---|---|
| Read Aloud | On, 0.9x with a strong highlight (90% opacity) |
| Text Customisation | On, letter spacing 0.15em, word spacing 0.2em |
| Reading Guide | On, red line |
| Focus Mode | On (Reading Guide and Focus Mode exclude each other, so only one of the two runs at a time) |
How it helps: More generous letter and word spacing, a high-visibility reading guide and a reading window reduce eye strain. It does not switch on the Magnifying Lens or a Screen Color Overlay; add them from the popup if you want them. For whole-page magnification, use Chrome’s own zoom.
Sensory Sensitive
Best for: Reducing stimulation, blocking unexpected content
| Feature | Setting |
|---|---|
| Read Aloud | On, 0.8x |
| Text Customisation | On |
| Screen Color Overlay | Lavender at 15% |
| Simplified Interface | Aggressive |
| Reduced Motion | On |
| Auto-play Blocking | On |
| STT Profile | Speech-to-Text on, standard voice commands |
How it helps: Prevents visual overload from animations and auto-playing media. A soft overlay reduces harsh colours.
Anxiety Calm
Best for: Reducing stress, gentle interactions, steady pacing
| Feature | Setting |
|---|---|
| Read Aloud | On, 0.85x with word-by-word highlighting |
| Text Customisation | On |
| Reading Guide | On, green line |
| Focus Mode | On (Reading Guide and Focus Mode exclude each other, so only one of the two runs at a time) |
| Screen Color Overlay | Soft Green at 10% |
| Simplified Interface | Aggressive |
| Reading Progress Bar | On, at the bottom of the page |
| Pomodoro Timer | On, 20 / 5 / 15 minutes, sound off |
| Reduced Motion | On |
| Auto-play Blocking | On |
| STT Profile | Speech-to-Text on, standard voice commands |
How it helps: Calm visuals, gentle pacing and no surprise sounds from the timer.
Night Study
Best for: Long late-night study sessions with structured breaks
| Feature | Setting |
|---|---|
| Read Aloud | On, 1.0x with a gold highlight |
| Text Customisation | On, Lexend |
| Simplified Interface | Moderate |
| Reading Progress Bar | On, orange, with the percentage shown |
| Pomodoro Timer | On, 45 / 10 / 20 minutes, breaks start automatically, sound on |
| Reduced Motion | On |
| Auto-play Blocking | On |
How it helps: Longer focus sessions with automatic breaks, less clutter and no distracting motion. It does not add a Screen Color Overlay; turn one on from the popup if you want a warm tint.
Motor Impairment
Best for: Dictating for longer stretches without re-clicking
| Feature | Setting |
|---|---|
| Read Aloud | On, with highlighting |
| Text Customisation | On |
| STT Profile | Speech-to-Text on, continuous dictation, two alternative words offered, voice commands start with “command” |
How it helps: Dictation keeps listening, so you do not re-click to keep going, and the “command” prefix stops ordinary speech from triggering a voice command by accident.
Low Vision STT
Best for: Dictation when the screen is hard to read
| Feature | Setting |
|---|---|
| Read Aloud | On, slightly slower (0.9x), high-visibility highlighting |
| Text Customisation | On, letter spacing 0.15em, word spacing 0.2em |
| Reading Guide | On, red line |
| Focus Mode | On (Reading Guide and Focus Mode exclude each other, so only one of the two runs at a time) |
| STT Profile | Speech-to-Text on, standard voice commands |
How it helps: Read Aloud, the spacing and the reading window make the page easier to see while you dictate.
Reading Mode
Best for: Comfortable reading of articles
| Feature | Setting |
|---|---|
| Read Aloud | On, 1.2x with word-by-word highlighting |
| Text Customisation | On |
| Reading Guide | On, blue line |
| Screen Color Overlay | Warm cream at 20% |
| Canvas, Moodle and Google Classroom helpers | Off |
How it helps: Comfortable typography and a gentle tint for article reading. It does not switch on Reading Mode or Simplified Interface.
Quiz Mode
Best for: Test-taking, focus during assessments
| Feature | Setting |
|---|---|
| Read Aloud | On, 1.0x |
| Text Customisation | On |
| Focus Mode | On |
| Canvas Quiz Helper | On (reads answers, highlights the current question, keyboard navigation) |
| Moodle and Google Classroom helpers | Off |
How it helps: Quiz Helper reads questions and answers on Canvas quizzes, and Focus Mode narrows what you see. It does not change Simplified Interface or the Pomodoro Timer.
How to Apply a Profile
- Click the AssisT icon
- Click Advanced options (gear icon)
- Go to the Preferences tab
- Scroll to Available Presets
- Click one of the six quick presets (ADHD Focus, Autism Comfort, Dyslexia Support, Night Study, Sensory Sensitive, Anxiety Calm) and confirm. The other six profiles are in the Active Profile dropdown.
The quick presets ask you to confirm. Choosing a profile from the Active Profile dropdown applies it straight away. Either way, AssisT applies the profile and reloads the popup.
Creating Custom Profiles
Save Your Current Settings
- Configure features exactly how you want them
- Go to Advanced options → Preferences → Profile Management
- Click Save Current
- Enter a name for your profile
- Click Save
Managing Profiles
- Switch profiles: Select from the Active Profile dropdown in the Preferences tab
- Delete profile: Select a custom profile and press Delete. The built-in profiles cannot be deleted
- Export profiles: Press Export All Profiles to save a JSON file
- Import profiles: Press Import Profiles to load a JSON file
Where Profiles Are Stored
Profiles and settings are stored in chrome.storage.local, on the device you set them on.
- Nothing syncs across devices. Signing into Chrome on a second machine does not bring your profiles with it. AssisT does not use Chrome’s synced storage
- To move a profile to another machine, export it to a JSON file and import it there
- Uninstalling AssisT removes the profiles stored on that device
- Profiles work entirely offline. No internet connection is required
For Educators & Parents
Selecting profiles for students:
- Start with the Discovery Quiz if unsure — it suggests features that may suit the student
- Match profile to diagnosis when known (ADHD Focus for ADHD, Dyslexia Support for dyslexia, etc.)
- Try Sensory Sensitive for students who seem overwhelmed
- Create custom profiles for students with specific combinations of needs
Managing multiple students:
- Profiles can be exported and imported as JSON files
- Create a “classroom default” profile and share with students
- Each Chrome user account maintains separate profiles
Privacy note: Profiles contain no personal data — only feature settings.