An Overview of Dyslexia: Definition, Characteristics, Assessment, Identification, and Intervention

Background: Dyslexia is a developmental brain-based type of learning disability that affects a person\u27s ability to read and spell words. Best estimates place 5 percent to 10 percent of the population with the condition, but the incidence of dyslexia is challenging to pinpoint, as the definition of dyslexia varies throughout research. Objective: The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of dyslexia, its characteristics, assessment and identification, and intervention techniques for the condition. Results: Although the disorder varies from person to person, common characteristics among people with dyslexia include difficulty with phonological skills, low accuracy and fluency of reading, poor spelling, and/or rapid visual-verbal responding. Dyslexia is a neurological condition and can be inherited, and recent studies have identified a number of genes that may predispose an individual to developing dyslexia. Identification of dyslexia early requires recognition of characteristics such as difficulty associating sounds with letters, reading dysfluencies, spelling difficulties, challenges with written expression and poor handwriting. Dyslexia assessments can guide professions in ways to best administer treatment, such as via strategies to enhance word training and improve decoding skills. All of these interventions have shown to benefit the reading and writing abilities of persons with dyslexia. Conclusions: The unique nature and presentation of dyslexia varies among individuals. The importance of understanding as much as possible and keeping abreast of the assessment and intervention strategies available is critical to minimizing the long-term effects of dyslexia

Lexiland: A Tablet-based Universal Screener for Reading Difficulties in the School Context

First published online January 27, 2022Massive and timely screening of the student population for early signs of reading difficulties is needed to implement timely effective remediation of these difficulties. However, traditional approaches are costly and hard to apply. Here, we present Lexiland, a tablet-based reading assessment tool for kindergarten and primary school children developed to be applied in school settings with minimal personnel intervention. Following a story line, players help a character of the game perform several tasks that measure different predictors of reading outcomes. Most of the tasks that usually involve a verbal response were switched to receptive tasks to demand a touch-screen response only. The tablet application was administered to a sample of N = 616 5-yo kindergarten children and to a sub-sample of these children twice during the following two years (First and Second Grades). Applying logistic regression and cross-validation, we selected a reduced subset of tasks that can predict with great sensitivity and specificity, whether a five-year-old child will have reading difficulties by the end of first grade (sensitivity 90% and specificity 76%) and two years later (sensitivity 90% and specificity 61%). Importantly, Lexiland is a scalable tool to implement universal screening, given the increasing availability of devices able to run android and iOS applications.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This project was funded by ANII FSED_2_2015_1_120741 and ANII FSED_2_2016_1_131230 grants to Juan Valle-Lisboa and Manuel Carreiras. Camila Zugarramurdi received a PhD Scholarship from Fundación Carolin

SPEEDY babies: A putative new behavioral syndrome of unbalanced motor-speech development

Even though difficulties in motor development in children with speech and language disorders are widely known, hardly any attention is paid to the association between atypically rapidly occurring unassisted walking and delayed speech development. The four children described here presented with a developmental behavioral triad: 1) atypically speedy motor development, 2) impaired expressive speech, and 3) tongue carriage dysfunction resulting in related misarticulations. Those characteristics might be phenotypically or genetically clustered. These children didn’t have impaired cognition, neurological or mental disease, defective sense organs, craniofacial dysmorphology or susceptibility to upper respiratory infections, particularly recurrent otitis media. Attention should be paid on discordant and unbalanced achievement of developmental milestones. Present children are termed SPEEDY babies, where SPEEDY refers to rapid independent walking, SPEE and DY to dyspractic or dysfunctional speech development and lingual dysfunction resulting in linguoalveolar misarticulations. SPEEDY babies require health care that recognizes and respects their motor skills and supports their needs for motor activities and on the other hand include treatment for impaired speech. The parents may need advice and support with these children

Evaluating New Approaches of Intervention in Reading Difficulties in Students with Dyslexia: The ilearnRW Software Application

The aim of this paper is to increase knowledge and understanding on how the implementation of language content through specialized software, such as the “Integrated Intelligent Learning Environment for Reading and Writing-iLearnRW”, can enhance learning during intervention procedures to enhance reading skills for children with dyslexia.The iLearnRW software is a newly designed tool that makes use of innovative technology and provides individualized intervention through games that incorporate learning activities, addressing those language areas that are most challenging for children with dyslexia in a highly entertaining and motivating way. Individualized intervention is provided through an underlying user profile, which incorporates these language features and is constantly updated as the child uses the software playing games, presenting language material selected based on his difficulties and recording his progress. A group of 78 students (52 male, 26 female) diagnosed with dyslexia, aged between 9 and 11 years old, was assessed for phonological, morphological and vocabulary skills. The students logged in the iLearnRW software on a mean of 14.18 days over a six-month intervention. After the 6-month intervention, the students were assessed once again on the same skills so as to establish the tool’s effectiveness.The results’ analysis revealed the following: (i) there was a strong constructional linkage between the profile entries of the sample, the language content of the tasks of the screening test as well of the games and its effectiveness in the students’ performance; (ii) the students who received specific guidance by their teachers, obtained higher success rates in most of the games than the students without any guidance, and (iii) the quantity of the language content and the time playing were not correlated with the students’ performance in the software’s games. Keywords: Digital technology, assistive computer software, dyslexia, learning environmen

Aprendizagem Digital: Modelos diferenciados de ensino utilizando TICs para alunos com problemas de visão – Boas práticas: Jogando entre 1 a 10

The idea of inclusion encourages an inclusive, open-door school. By adapting formal instruction to standard instruction that is acceptable for everyone while taking into account the requirements, quirks, skills, interests, and experiences of each student, the use of ICTs aids in this direction. One such group is the visually challenged, whose inclusion in general education classes is made possible with the use of ICTs. In the current study, a method of individualized education in the field of mathematics is developed and put into practice, allowing all students-visually impaired or not-to master the mathematical operation of adding to the first ten at their own speed and time. Results show that differentiated instruction improves students' ability to understand mathematical operations: ADDITION from 1 to 10.La idea de inclusión fomenta una escuela inclusiva y de puertas abiertas. Al adaptar la instrucción formal a la instrucción estándar aceptable para todos, teniendo en cuenta los requisitos, peculiaridades, habilidades, intereses y experiencias de cada estudiante, el uso de las TIC ayuda en esta dirección. Uno de estos grupos es el de los discapacitados visuales, cuya inclusión en las clases de educación general es posible con el uso de las TIC. En el presente estudio se desarrolla y pone en práctica un método de enseñanza individualizado en el área de matemáticas, que permite a todos los alumnos -con discapacidad visual o no- dominar la operación matemática de sumar al top ten a su propio ritmo y tiempo. Los resultados muestran que la enseñanza diferenciada mejora la capacidad de los estudiantes para comprender las operaciones matemáticas: SUMA del 1 al 10.A ideia de inclusão incentiva uma escola inclusiva e de portas abertas. Ao adaptar a instrução formal à instrução padrão aceitável para todos, levando em conta os requisitos, peculiaridades, habilidades, interesses e experiências de cada aluno, o uso das TICs auxilia nessa direção. Um desses grupos é o dos deficientes visuais, cuja inclusão nas classes de educação geral é possível com o uso das TICs. No presente estudo, é desenvolvido e colocado em prática um método de ensino individualizado na área da matemática, permitindo que todos os alunos-deficientes visuais ou não-dominem a operação matemática de somar aos dez primeiros no seu próprio ritmo e tempo. Os resultados mostram que o ensino diferenciado melhora a capacidade dos alunos de entender as operações matemáticas: ADIÇÃO de 1 a 10

Estratégias & tecnologias digitais para a integração do Autismo

The number of people with Autism spectrum disorders is increasing significantly. The purpose of this literature review is to contribute to the integration of autistic people in the educational context with the help of technological means. Educators' views on the education they should provide to students so that autistic people feel accepted by their peers and have equal and inclusive opportunities are listed. People on the Autism spectrum have difficulties in important pillars such as communication, memory, and attention. Strategies are presented for teachers to achieve the inclusion of students and the role of assistive technology, and its benefits are identified for people with Autism with the main benefit being the improvement of communication skills, the improvement of organization activities, memory, and attention.El número de personas con trastornos del espectro autista está aumentando significativamente. El objetivo de esta revisión bibliográfica fue contribuir a la integración de las personas autistas en el contexto educativo con la ayuda de medios tecnológicos. Se enumeran las opiniones de los educadores sobre la educación que deben ofrecer a los alumnos para que las personas autistas se sientan aceptadas por sus compañeros y tengan oportunidades equitativas e inclusivas. Las personas en el espectro del autismo tienen dificultades con pilares importantes como la comunicación, la memoria y la atención. Se presentan estrategias para que los docentes logren la inclusión de los estudiantes y el rol de la tecnología asistiva, y se identifican sus beneficios para las personas con autismo, siendo el principal beneficio la mejora de las habilidades comunicativas, la mejora de las actividades de organización, memoria y atención.O número de pessoas com transtornos do espectro do Autismo está aumentando significativamente. O objetivo desta revisão de literatura foi contribuir para a integração de pessoas autistas no contexto educacional com o auxílio de meios tecnológicos. São listadas as opiniões dos educadores sobre a educação que devem oferecer aos alunos para que os autistas se sintam aceitos por seus pares e tenham oportunidades iguais e inclusivas. As pessoas no espectro do Autismo apresentam dificuldades em pilares importantes como comunicação, memória e atenção. São apresentadas estratégias para os professores conseguirem a inclusão dos alunos e o papel da tecnologia assistiva, e são identificados seus benefícios para pessoas com autismo sendo o principal benefício, a melhora das habilidades de comunicação, a melhora das atividades de organização, memória e atenção

Sociabilidade: A chave para o transtorno do processamento sensorial

Social communication and sensory processing disorder are two factors that interact with each other and the difficulties they find in them impact on different neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. More specifically, sociability is shown to play a key role in dealing with sensory processing difficulties and the interventions related to it can be implemented in a school setting as well within a therapeutic setting and even at home. The design of these interventions with a focus on sociability aims on the one hand to reduce sensory difficulties and on the other hand to provide meaningful communication when working with children with autism or severe or generalized learning difficulties. This article’s goal is to compile research findings regarding the impact of sociability on children with sensory difficulties through a literature review. Specifically, many interventions with pillars the social communication have been studied to help children with autism and other syndromes The outcomes demonstrated a direct link between sociability and sensory processing disorder with interventions and therapeutic programs implemented in many nations with favorable outcomes in many facets of how children with these issues behave. One of the most effective interventions that helps are Intensive Interaction with high contribution to the sensory regulation of children mainly with autism. Students with neurodevelopmental problems were the samples for the interventions' participants. Application of these programs on a weekly basis, two to three times, is helpful in the right direction.El trastorno de la comunicación social y el procesamiento sensorial son dos factores que interactúan entre sí y las dificultades que encuentran en ellos repercuten en diferentes trastornos del neurodesarrollo como el autismo. Más específicamente, se muestra que la sociabilidad juega un papel clave en el tratamiento de las dificultades de procesamiento sensorial y las intervenciones relacionadas con ella pueden implementarse tanto en un entorno escolar como en un contexto terapéutico e incluso en el hogar. El diseño de estas intervenciones con un enfoque principal en la sociabilidad tiene como objetivo, por un lado, reducir las dificultades sensoriales y, por otro lado, proporcionar una comunicación significativa cuando se trabaja con niños con autismo o dificultades de aprendizaje severas o generalizadas. El propósito de este artículo es registrar datos de investigación sobre el efecto de la sociabilidad en niños con dificultades sensoriales a través de una revisión de la literatura. En concreto, se han estudiado muchas intervenciones con pilares la comunicación social para ayudar a niños con autismo y otros síndromes. Los resultados mostraron que existe una correlación directa entre la sociabilidad y el trastorno del procesamiento sensorial con intervenciones y programas terapéuticos implementados en muchos países con resultados positivos en todos los aspectos del comportamiento de los niños con estas dificultades. Una de las intervenciones más efectivas que ayuda son las Interacciones Intensivas con alto aporte a la regulación sensorial de niños principalmente con autismo. En cuanto a los participantes en las intervenciones, las muestras fueron estudiantes con trastornos del neurodesarrollo estudiados. La frecuencia de aplicación de estos programas 2-3 veces por semana ayuda en la dirección correcta.A comunicação social e o transtorno do processamento sensorial, são dois fatores que interagem entre si e as dificuldades que encontram neles, impactam em diferentes transtornos do neurodesenvolvimento como o autismo. Mais especificamente, a sociabilidade mostra-se como um papel fundamental para lidar com as dificuldades de processamento sensorial e as intervenções relacionadas a ela podem ser implementadas em ambiente escolar, bem como, em contexto terapêutico e até mesmo em casa. O desenho destas intervenções com foco principal na sociabilidade visa por um lado, reduzir as dificuldades sensoriais e, por outro, proporcionar uma comunicação significativa ao trabalhar com crianças com autismo ou dificuldades de aprendizagem graves ou generalizadas. O objetivo deste artigo foi registrar dados de pesquisa sobre o efeito da sociabilidade em crianças com dificuldades sensoriais por meio de uma revisão de literatura. Especificamente, intervenções com pilares na comunicação social, têm sido estudadas para ajudar crianças com autismo e outras síndromes. Os resultados mostraram que existe uma correlação direta entre sociabilidade e transtorno do processamento sensorial com intervenções e programas terapêuticos implementados em vários países com resultados positivos em todos os aspectos do comportamento de crianças com essas dificuldades. Uma das intervenções mais eficazes que auxiliam, são a interação intensiva com alta contribuição para a regulação sensorial em crianças principalmente com autismo. Em relação aos participantes das intervenções, as amostras foram estudantes com transtornos do neurodesenvolvimento estudados. A frequência de aplicação destes programas dois ou três vezes por semana ajuda na direção correta

Using Information Communications Technologies to Implement Universal Design for Learning

The purpose of this paper is to assist Ministries of Education, their donors and partners, Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs), and the practitioner community funded by and working with USAID to select, pilot, and (as appropriate) scale up ICT4E solutions to facilitate the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), with a particular emphasis on supporting students with disabilities to acquire literacy and numeracy skills. The paper focuses primarily on how technology can support foundational skills acquisition for students with disabilities, while also explaining when, why, and how technologies that assist students with disabilities can, in some applications, have positive impacts on all students’ basic skills development. In 2018, USAID released the Toolkit for Universal Design for Learning to Help All Children Read, section 3.1 of which provides basic information on the role of technologies to support UDL principles and classroom learning. This paper expands upon that work and offers more extensive advice on using ICT4E1 to advance equitable access to high quality learning. Like the UDL toolkit, the audience for this guide is mainly Ministries of Education and development agencies working in the area of education, but this resource can also be helpful for DPOs and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) wishing to pilot or spearhead ICT initiatives. Content for this paper was informed by expert interviews and reviews of field reports during 2018. These included programs associated with United Nations, Zero Project, World Innovation Summit, UNESCO Mobile Learning Awards, and USAID’s All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development. Relevant case studies of select education programs integrating technology to improve learning outcomes for students with disabilities were summarized for this document

Una aplicación móvil para estudiantes con dificultades de aprendizaje: diseño y validación

En los últimos años, el uso de tecnologías y dispositivos portátiles se ha generalizado en muchos campos y también en la educación. Hay además muchas investigaciones que demuestran la enorme difusión del uso y la popularidad de los dispositivos móviles entre los jóvenes. La tecnología móvil ofrece la capacidad de apoyar el aprendizaje y también ofrece tanto a los estudiantes como a los profesores oportunidades de aprendizaje personalizadas. Los principales factores para la adopción e implementación del M-Learning en las escuelas son la disposición y disposición de los maestros. Hay muchos estudios que demuestran las actitudes y percepciones positivas de los profesores de secundaria sobre el uso de dispositivos móviles en la escuela. Es más, un gran número de encuestas indican que el uso de tecnologías móviles, afecta positivamente la educación de los niños con necesidades educativas especiales como el autismo, dislexia, etc. Esta tesis doctoral tiene como objetivo el diseño y la evaluación de una aplicación educativa para Android que se espera ayude a los estudiantes de escuela secundaria griega con dificultades de aprendizaje a adquirir habilidades adicionales en matemáticas. En primer lugar, se han analizado las actitudes y percepciones de los profesores griegos de educación especial sobre el uso de las TIC en clase para asegurarse, por una parte, de que el conocimiento de los profesores en este campo es adecuado, teniendo en cuenta el hecho de que el conocimiento de las TIC no es una habilidad previa para convertirse en profesor. Esta etapa se realiza a través de cuestionarios estructurados y el análisis de los datos de las respuestas se ha realizado con el software IBM SPSS Statistics. En segundo lugar, en el marco de la elaboración de la tesis se ha creado una nueva aplicación tecnológica Android, destinada a ayudar a los estudiantes con dificultades de aprendizaje en el campo de las matemáticas. La herramienta de desarrollo de aplicaciones que se ha utilizado es Android Studio, el IDE oficial (Entorno de Desarrollo Integrado) para la plataforma Android. El lenguaje de programación que se ha utilizado es Java. Antes de su implementación la aplicación fue evaluada por 7 docentes especializados tanto en el área de informática como en matemáticas a través de un cuestionario estructurado. Se implementó su uso durante dos meses en escuelas de secundaria educación . Después de su implementación se evaluaron los resultados a través de entrevistas a profesores de educación especial y cuestionarios dirigidos a estudiantes con dificultades de aprendizaje con el fin de estimar, por un lado, las opiniones e impresiones de los estudiantes y profesores y, por otro lado, las habilidades potenciales que los estudiantes podían haber adquirido. El análisis estadístico de los cuestionarios de evaluación docente reveló que los profesores de matemáticas e informática tienen una actitud positiva hacia la aplicación “Love2LearnMaths”. El mismo punto de vista positivo hacia la aplicación se puede observar en las respuestas de los profesores entrevistados, que son los docentes de matemáticas para estudiantes con NEE. Los estudiantes de los departamentos de integración, por otro lado, parecen estar positivamente entusiasmados con el uso de la aplicación “Love2LearnMaths” como lo revela el análisis de los cuestionarios de los estudiantes para la evaluación de la aplicación.In recent years the use of portable technologies and devices has become widespread in many fields, such as in the economy, tourism, entertainment, but also in education. There are many surveys that prove the huge spread of use and popularity of mobile devices (mobile phones, tablets and laptops) among young people. On the other hand, mobile phones are mostly preferred compared to other mobile devices by secondary school students. Mobile technology offers the ability to support learning and also offers to both students and teachers personalized learning opportunities. The main factors for the adoption and implementation of M-Learning in schools are the willingness and readiness of teachers. There are many studies that prove the positive attitudes and perceptions of secondary school teachers on the use of mobile devices in school. However, specifically for Greece much fewer studies have been carried out. What is more, a great number of surveys indicate that the use of mobile technologies, affects positively the education of children with special educational needs such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia etc. Therefore, this PhD dissertation aims at the design and evaluation of an educational Android application that is expected to help Greek gymnasium’s students with learning difficulties to acquire extra skills in mathematics. Firstly, the attitudes and perceptions of Greek special education teachers about the use of ICTs in class have been analyzed to make sure on the one hand that teachers’ knowledge on this field is adequate, considering the fact that ICTs’ knowledge is not a prerequisite skill for becoming teacher. Additionally, teachers’ attitudes towards the use of ICTs in class have been clarified. This stage is carried out via structured questionnaires and the data analysis of the answers has been made with IBM SPSS Statistics software. Secondly, in the framework of the thesis’ elaboration, a new technological Android application has been created, aiming at assisting students with learning difficulties in the field of mathematics. The application development tool that has been used is Android Studio, the official IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for the Android platform. The programming language that has been used is Java, while XML’s knowledge was required in order to customize the formatting and the appearance of the application. The application was to be implemented in integration departments of two secondary Greek schools within a period of six months (finally the period was reduced to two due to covid-19 restrictions). Before its implementation the application was evaluated by 7 teachers specialized in both the area of informatics and mathematics via a structured questionnaire. After its implementation the results were evaluated via interviews with special education teachers and questionnaires addressed to students with learning difficulties in order to estimate on the one hand the opinions and impressions of the students and teachers because of its use and, on the other hand the potential skills that the students may have acquired. The statistical analysis of teachers' evaluation questionnaires revealed that mathematicians and informatics’ teachers have a positive attitude towards the application “Love2LearnMaths”. Similar attitudes towards mobile devices and apps in general had been announced by the Special Education teachers of the first phase of our research. The same positive point of view towards the application “Love2LearnMaths” can be observed in the answers of the interviewees, who are the special education mathematicians. Students of integration departments on the other hand, appear positively enthusiastic about the use of the application “Love2LearnMaths” as revealed by the analysis of Students’ questionnaires for the evaluation of the app.

EL LABORATORIO DE CIENCIAS DE LA FUTURA ESCUELA. TECNOLOGÍAS Y CONTENIDOS EMERGENTES

Este artigo investiga as tendências atuais na transformação de laboratórios STEM na era da digitalização devido à integração de tecnologias digitais e ao reconhecimento da importância do desenvolvimento de habilidades metacognitivas. O artigo examina o papel da metacognição e seu impacto no processo de aprendizagem, bem como o uso de tecnologias digitais, como laboratórios remotos, laboratórios virtuais, realidade aumentada, realidade virtual e dispositivos móveis na educação STEM. Os resultados desta pesquisa sugerem que o uso dessas tecnologias digitais pode ser benéfico para a aprendizagem de ciências no ensino superior e secundário. Além disso, essas tecnologias podem ser usadas para promover o engajamento, a colaboração e o acesso dos alunos ao conhecimento científico. Além disso, a metacognição é uma habilidade importante para professores e alunos, e pode ser desenvolvida através do uso da pirâmide do conhecimento, pirâmide de inteligência emocional, pirâmide metacognitiva e modelos de pirâmide de superdotação.This paper investigates the current trends in the transformation of STEM laboratories in the age of digitization due to the integration of digital technologies and the recognition of the importance of developing metacognitive skills. The paper examines the role of metacognition and its impact on the learning process, as well as the use of digital technologies such as remote labs, virtual labs, augmented reality, virtual reality, and mobile devices in STEM education. Results from this research suggest that the use of these digital technologies can be beneficial for science learning in both higher and secondary education. Additionally, these technologies can be used to promote student engagement, collaboration, and access to scientific knowledge. Furthermore, metacognition is an important skill for both teachers and students, and can be developed through the use of the knowledge pyramid, emotional intelligence pyramid, metacognitive pyramid, and giftedness pyramid models.Este artículo investiga las tendencias actuales en la transformación de los laboratorios STEM en la era de la digitalización debido a la integración de tecnologías digitales y al reconocimiento de la importancia del desarrollo de habilidades metacognitivas. El documento examina el papel de la metacognición y su impacto en el proceso de aprendizaje, así como el uso de tecnologías digitales como laboratorios remotos, laboratorios virtuales, realidad aumentada, realidad virtual y dispositivos móviles en la educación STEM. Los resultados de esta investigación sugieren que el uso de estas tecnologías digitales puede ser beneficioso para el aprendizaje de las ciencias tanto en la educación superior como en la secundaria. Además, estas tecnologías pueden utilizarse para promover la participación, colaboración y acceso al conocimiento científico por parte de los estudiantes. Además, la metacognición es una habilidad importante tanto para profesores como para estudiantes y puede desarrollarse mediante el uso de los modelos de pirámide del conocimiento, pirámide de inteligencia emocional, pirámide metacognitiva y pirámide de talento.Este artigo investiga as tendências atuais na transformação de laboratórios STEM na era da digitalização devido à integração de tecnologias digitais e ao reconhecimento da importância do desenvolvimento de habilidades metacognitivas. O artigo examina o papel da metacognição e seu impacto no processo de aprendizagem, bem como o uso de tecnologias digitais, como laboratórios remotos, laboratórios virtuais, realidade aumentada, realidade virtual e dispositivos móveis na educação STEM. Os resultados desta pesquisa sugerem que o uso dessas tecnologias digitais pode ser benéfico para a aprendizagem de ciências no ensino superior e secundário. Além disso, essas tecnologias podem ser usadas para promover o engajamento, a colaboração e o acesso dos alunos ao conhecimento científico. Além disso, a metacognição é uma habilidade importante para professores e alunos, e pode ser desenvolvida através do uso da pirâmide do conhecimento, pirâmide de inteligência emocional, pirâmide metacognitiva e modelos de pirâmide de superdotação