Artificial intelligence, or AI, has changed how we access data, write paragraphs or find information. So how can it be used to help a child with dyslexia?
In this months’ blog, we are looking at how artificial intelligence (AI) apps and tools can be used to help a dyslexic child’s classroom challenges.
Where did artificial intelligence come from?
‘Artificial Intelligence’ and ‘Machine Learning’ have been a subject of discussion, research and discovery since the 1950’s, when Alan Turing asked “Can machines think?”, prompting experimentation in machine learning that would bring us to todays understanding. Now, some 75 years on, AI has advanced rapidly, making it part of everyday technology.
For some, the use of AI can be viewed as a lazy approach and it has its negative points. But for many, it has helped to become more efficient, accurate and to learn.
What are the signs of dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a neurological issue which affects the way the brain processes information. This means that anyone with dyslexia can have difficulty processing and remembering information.
It can impact many areas of life, not only reading accurately and writing fluently but also organisational skills, coordination and memory.
Learning challenges a dyslexic individual may experience
For children with dyslexia, classroom tasks such as writing down an answer before others, reading in front of a class, or answering questions confidently can be a challenge, negatively affecting a child’s self-esteem and confidence. Our indicator checklist helps to know the signs of dyslexia.
So how can using AI help a dyslexic child to overcome these barriers? Keep reading to discover AI Apps and tools that have transformed everyday learning into a positive experience.
Reading
A dyslexic brain works differently when it comes to reading, processing and understanding what is being read.
The Lexy app has been created to shape around the child’s specific needs. Created specifically for dyslexic learners, it helps to develop the core learning skills through engaging games tackling reading, spelling, phonics, rhyming and vowel recognition whilst building self-esteem through motivational praise and its supportive feedback.
Reading with confidence & speed
Dyslexic individuals are often slower readers, sometimes having to reread a section as they find it difficult to recognise sounds, letters and understand the connection between them.
DyslexiaBuddy acts as a ‘personal dyslexia reading coach’ for dyslexic children. Designed to tackle reading confidence and speed, this app transformed scanned text into a readable format, chosen by the child.
This app gives flexibility to choose from a variety of dyslexic-friendly fonts and colours, change spacing and font sizes.
Plus as an extra, there is a virtual voice-chat tutor that can answer questions such as requests for definitions or sentence examples.
Comprehension and understanding
An individual with dyslexia may take longer to process words phonetically and to grasp understanding.
‘Text-to-speech’ (or TTS) AI Apps, such as Speechify, enable words to be scanned, photographed or uploaded and then read aloud in a chosen voice (including a selection of fun celebrity voices!).
Hearing the words and following on with the audio helps to improve reading fluency, reinforce pronunciation and improve word recognition.
Writing confidence
Writing is often a challenging area for dyslexic learners, mixing letters around or not understanding their phonetic spelling.
Ghotit Real Writer offers advanced writing assistance to both children and adults with dyslexia through an extension of Google Docs. This programme artificially understands the context of a sentence, will pick up if a misused word is used, and provides grammar and punctuation corrections.
Dyslexico is another AI powered extension to your web browser, providing a spellcheck and autocorrect solution that’s designed to teach dyslexics how to improve their writing skills as it corrects.
In summary
For a dyslexic child or adult, traditional learning can cause challenges with reading and writing, consequently having an impact on their self-esteem.
AI has opened opportunities for more engaging, interactive learning that works both in and out of the classroom environment. Shaping around a persons ability, the AI apps are encouraging and motivating, helping to jump over obstacles that traditional learning may bring and build confidence.
It also provides real time feedback, helping teachers to create personalised learning plans based on the students’ needs.
About Dyslexia First
Dyslexia First provides first-class dyslexia assessments for children and adults across the North West.
Owner Michala Morton has worked in the field of Special Needs for over 20 years, across a wide range of educational settings, and works closely with The British Dyslexia Association and The Dyslexia Association assessing children and adults.
Based in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, Dyslexia First is conveniently accessible by train, linking to Central Liverpool, Manchester and cities within an hour’s commute.
By helping you to get the right support, a world of possibilities will open, that might not have seemed possible before.
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