COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS AND REMEDIATION OF DYSLEXIA

WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A COMPUTER-BASED SYSTEM FOR THE EARLY DETECTION AND REMEDIATION OF DYSLEXIA. THIS SYSTEM WOULD INCORPORATE ANIMATED COLOR GRAPHICS, DIGITAL AUDIO RECORDING, AND A TOUCH-SENSITIVE DISPLAY. A CHILD USING THIS SYSTEM WOULD RECEIVE RECORDED VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS WHILE WATCHING A VIDEO DISPLAY AND WOULD RESPOND BY TOUCHING VARIOUS IMAGES ON THE SCREEN. IN PHASE I WE WOULD ASSEMBLE A PROTOTYPE SYSTEM, PROGRAM THE OPERATING SOFTWARE, AND PREPARE A SIMPLE DEMONSTRATION PROCEDURE TO TEST THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE SYSTEM BY CHILDREN. IN PHASE II WE WOULD DEVELOP A SERIES OF TEST PROGRAMS FOR DIAGNOSING DYSLEXIA AND PROVIDING REMEDIATION. THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TEST PROGRAMS WOULD BE EVALUATED IN PHASE II BY DIRECT COMPARISON WITH THE METHODS PRESENTLY USED AT THE CORTICAL FUNCTION LABORATORY, MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, AND THE CARROLL SCHOOL FOR DYSLEXIO CHILDREN IN LINCOLN MA. IF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR COMPUTER TECHNIQUES COULD BE DEMONSTRATED, WE WOULD PROCEED TO DEVELOP AN ENTERPRISE TO DELIVER THESE SERVICES ON A LARGE SCALE.