Academic Paper Writing Service http://StudyHub.vip/A-COMPREHENSIVE-STUDY-OF-AUDIO-VISUAL-A 👈

1. http://www.iaeme.com/IJEET/index.asp 211 editor@iaeme.com
International Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology (IJEET)
Volume 11, Issue 2, March-April 2020, pp. 211-218, Article ID: IJEET_11_02_026
Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/IJEET/issues.asp?JType=IJEET&VType=11&IType=2
ISSN Print: 0976-6545 and ISSN Online: 0976-6553
Journal Impact Factor (2020): 10.1935 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor.com
© IAEME Publication
A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF AUDIO
VISUAL AIDS FOR DYSLEXIC CHILDREN
Manasa R, Ritika Shukla and Budhaditya Bhattacharyya
Department of Electronics and Communication,
School of Electronics Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology,
Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
Radhika Agarwal
Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology,
Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
ABSTRACT
Dyslexics face problems such as difficulty in reading, writing, listening, phonetic
decoding, time management, organizational ability and paying attention even though
they have similar intelligence levels as ordinary people. Extensive studies have been
conducted to prove that audio-visual learning aids can help dyslexic children to a
great extent. Audio and visuals help the children to create better connections in their
brain. This not only makes their learning an easier process but is also an engaging
and interactive way to introduce new concepts to the dyslexic children. The
indulgence of the current generation in ICT (Information and communications
technology) devices can be efficiently put to use to develop an exceptional assistive
tool. This paper discusses the various audiovisual learning aids proposed. In the end,
we have proposed a new learning aid that makes use of Generative Adversarial
Networks.
Keywords: Dyslexia, Audio-Visual, GANs, Multisensory, Assistive Technology,
Tangible, Orton Gillingham approach, Interactive Multimedia, K-Nearest Neighbours.
Cite this Article: Manasa R, Ritika Shukla, Budhaditya Bhattacharyya and Radhika
Agarwal, A Comprehensive Study of Audio Visual Aids for Dyslexic Children,
International Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology, 11(2), 2020,
pp. 211-218.
http://www.iaeme.com/IJEET/issues.asp?JType=IJEET&VType=11&IType=2
1. INTRODUCTION
In our current day education system, a vast majority of teaching is done through words. For
children with dyslexia, words are huge learning barriers. It should be taken into consideration
that the symptoms of dyslexia are not limited to literacy problems. They face a multitude of
problems ranging from insufficient phonological processing abilities to short-term memory. It
should be understood that dyslexia is not necessarily a disadvantage. Dyslexics have a very

2. Manasa R, Ritika Shukla, Budhaditya Bhattacharyya and Radhika Agarwal
http://www.iaeme.com/IJEET/index.asp 212 editor@iaeme.com
creative way of thinking and this can be used to overcome their shortcomings. The right
teaching techniques could help them understand better and excel in the present-day education
system as well. It has been proven innumerable times that audio-visual aids are a very
effective teaching material for children with dyslexia as they induce a sense of creativity in
the learning process. In this paper, we have discussed the various audio-visual learning aids
proposed and have also introduced the possibility of a new learning aid that can make self-
learning easier for those with dyslexia.
The paper is organized in the following manner. Section 2 puts forth the meaning of
dyslexia and the various theories and hypotheses linked with it. Section 3 discusses the
effectiveness of audio-visual aids in the learning process of dyslexic children. Section 4
describes our proposed prototype and Section 5 concludes the whole paper.
2. DYSLEXIA BACKGROUND
2.1. Dyslexia
Dyslexia is said to be caused by deficits in various sensory, cognitive and motor processes.
Some researchers suggest that the fundamental reason is abnormal neurological timing, or
―temporal processing‖[1]. Some theories propose that dyslexia is a combination of short term
memory difficulties, lack of organizational skills and time management issues which tend to
have an impact on their learning abilities[2]. Dyslexia is a synchronous state where the
performance of the individual can be improved diachronically with the help of the
environment. With this, it becomes clear that not only the deficits faced by dyslexics but the
blame should be equally shared by the environmental factors for executing learning strategies.
Figure 1 summarizes the causes and symptoms of dyslexia.
Figure 1 Outline of Dyslexia
3. AUDIO VISUAL AIDS
There have been many instances where it has been concluded that Audio and Visuals are
excellent tools for teaching dyslexics. In context to it, some of the existing Audio-Visual
learning aids usually draw researchers‘ attention. Some of them include Tiblo: Tangible
Interactive BLOcks[4], MathLEXIC: An Assistive Multimedia Mathematical Learning Aid
for Dyslexia Children[5], SpellBound: A tangible spelling aid for the dyslexic child[6],
Dyscover: An Orton-Gillingham Approach inspired Multi-sensory learning application for

3. A Comprehensive Study of Audio Visual Aids for Dyslexic Children
http://www.iaeme.com/IJEET/index.asp 213 editor@iaeme.com
dyslexic children[7], Bijak Membaca: Applying Phonic Reading Technique and Multisensory
Approach with Interactive Multimedia for Dyslexia Children[8], JollyMate: Assistive
Technology for Young Children with Dyslexia[9].
3.1. Tangible Interactive BLOcks - TIBLO
Tiblo is a riveting learning aid designed for dyslexic kids between the age of 8 to 12 years. It
is a modular interactive electronic block which consists of a set of blocks that can be
interlocked to each other. As shown in Figure 2, Each block is integrated with a voice
recorder and speaker which can record and playback up to 10 seconds of pre-recorded voice.
These blocks can be connected to form various shapes like linear sequence, grid-based surface
or a 3D form. Furthermore, it has a small pinboard on its exterior that can act as space where
visuals can be pinned up.
Tiblo creates a sense of excitement among the children and raises curiosity. This device
can be used to improve teaching techniques in many ways. It has been tested at a school for
dyslexic. The results have shown that it is a more engaging way to revise. It helps them learn
spellings easily by segmenting them down into syllables which are then blended to form
complicated words. Not only English, but the children have shown significant improvement in
the time required by them to understand mathematical concepts like place values and
addition/subtraction. The children also felt a great deal of ownership towards these blocks.
Figure 2 Tiblo functional prototype.[4]
3.2. MathLEXIC
MathLEXIC is an assistive audio-visual learning tool that focuses on building the
mathematical foundation in dyslexic children. It comprises four tutorials and activities
including Number recognition, Number sequence, Mathematical symbols and Mathematical
operations. Most of the learning aids proposed for dyslexics deal with their difficulties in
reading, writing, spelling, speaking, time management issues, etc.. MathLEXIC is one of the
few unique learning aids that pay proper attention to the mathematical difficulties faced by the
dyslexic. Multimedia is a very engaging platform. It makes the learning process more
amusing as it is incorporated with text, voices, pictures, animations, etc. MathLEXIC has
proved to be effective as it uses words and pictures for a deeper understanding of dyslexic
students. Spatial contiguity (words are placed near their corresponding pictures), Coherence
principle (performance improves by animation and narration), Personalization principle
(animation and narration in a conversational style is more efficient) and temporal contiguity
(words and pictures are displayed at the same instant) are important aspects that are taken into
consideration by MathLEXIC. Hence, it is concluded that MathLEXIC is an effective

4. Manasa R, Ritika Shukla, Budhaditya Bhattacharyya and Radhika Agarwal
http://www.iaeme.com/IJEET/index.asp 214 editor@iaeme.com
multimedia assistive tool for teachers and parents to teach dyslexics mathematics properly.
Figure 3 shows the demonstration of the number recognition activity.
Figure 3 Functional prototype of MathLEXIC[5]
3.3. SpellBound
Spellbound is an interactive spelling aid for children suffering from dyslexia which uses the
theory of multiple intelligences for incorporating spellings and meanings associated with the
words. It employs activities with impressive visuals, colours, and tangible shapes to help
dyslexic children ages 8-10 years with English vocabulary. The concept of SpellBound
revolves around the idea that dyslexics are visual learners and can understand shapes better
than words. Hence, the letters of the English alphabet were taught to them using four
fundamental shapes namely, vertical line, horizontal line, semiring and inverted semiring as
shown in Figure 4. The setup consists of four basic shapes, display screen and a set of
responsive grids. The shapes could be pinned together using plastic pins to form letters.
SpellBound is designed keeping in mind the anthropometric metrics of a child. Positive
feedback is given in the form of green light on the completion of words inducing a sense of
achievement in the child. Additionally, the system has a memory chip that can be used by the
teachers to add more visuals and words according to the course materials. It can be concluded,
SpellBound is engaging, gives positive feedback and is customizable.
Figure 4 The four fundamental shapes of SpellBound[6]
3.4. Dyscover
Dyscover is an open-source project which utilizes ICT (Information and Communication
Technology) for the Orton Gillingham approach and further personalizes the experience using
Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. This project takes into consideration that every
learner‘s needs are different and uses nine types of intelligence from the gardener‘s theory to
evaluate the intellect of the student. The lessons are personalized by using audio-visual-
kinesthetic elements with the results extracted from the questionnaire answered by the
student. It uses a multisensory teaching approach. The letters are taught in order of increasing
complexity of shape (For example the letters with straight lines are taught before those with
slant lines or curves). The instructions are given with the names of people close to the
children so they feel comfortable. Continuous feedback and positive reinforcement helps the

5. A Comprehensive Study of Audio Visual Aids for Dyslexic Children
http://www.iaeme.com/IJEET/index.asp 215 editor@iaeme.com
child to learn better. This is being demonstrated in Figure 5. Dyscover makes use of tactile
feedback while the learner moves his/her finger over the different touch points which is an
important feature of the kinesthetic aspect. Gyroscopes are used so that the device can be
rotated and this rotation converts the written character into the correct one. Hence, it can be
concluded Information and Communication technology can be used to implement OG
principles to help dyslexics in reading and writing.
Figure 5 Drawing canvas of Dyscover[7]
3.5. Bijak Membaca
Bijak Membaca is an interactive multimedia learning aid designed for the dyslexic. It
comprises two sections, namely, Tutorial and Activity. The creators have taken into
consideration the few letters of the alphabet that the dyslexic has the most trouble in. In the
application, the letter, its phonetic pronunciation, and a related image are displayed. This
multisensory approach links the eyes, ears, voice and hand movements. The activity section
includes some engaging activities that focus on the pronunciation of letters/words and their
relations with images, as shown in Figure 6. It can be concluded that Bijack Membaca is good
spelling and writing aid for dyslexics.
Figure 6 Functional prototype of Bijak Membaca [8]

6. Manasa R, Ritika Shukla, Budhaditya Bhattacharyya and Radhika Agarwal
http://www.iaeme.com/IJEET/index.asp 216 editor@iaeme.com
3.6. JollyMate
JollyMate is an assistive self-learning aid for the dyslexic children. It is a digital notepad that
teaches the children to write letters correctly. The letters are introduced with visuals assisted
by their phonetic sounds and related visual graphics. The children are then allowed to practice
writing the letter. If their letter is closer to the ground truth then they are awarded a star else
they are prompted to practice again. The handwriting is recognized and classified using the
LIPI Toolkit which makes use of the K-Nearest Neighbour algorithm for the classification
process. JollyMate is an exceptionally good learning aid which makes use of technology to
provide a great learning platform for the dyslexic children. Figure 7 shows the complete
functional prototype of JollyMate.
Figure 7 Jollymate [9]
Table 1 Comparison of different learning aid for dyslexia
LEARNING AID ACCESSIBILITY UNIQUENESS CONVENIENCE
METHOD OF
TESTING
TIBLO Limited Accessibility
Creative use of
Lego with Voice
Recording and
playback features
Difficult to
understand at initial
stages
Tested in school
for Dyslexic
MATHLEXIC
Limited Accessibility
due to language
barrier
Mathematics
based
Simple to use
User acceptance
test was
conducted
SPELLBOUND Limited Accessibility
Outstanding
results with
limited hardware
Portable
Tested in a
school for
Dyslexic
DYSCOVER
Extended
accessibility
It used OG
approach
Can be used with
any smartphone
Not tested
BIJAK
MEMBACA
Limited Accessibility
due to language
barrier
Linkage of
multiple senses
Convenient tool
Heuristic
evaluation was
conducted
JOLLYMATE
Extended
accessibility
Letters are
introduced with
visuals assisted
by their phonetic
sound and related
visual graphics.
Very convenient Not tested

7. A Comprehensive Study of Audio Visual Aids for Dyslexic Children
http://www.iaeme.com/IJEET/index.asp 217 editor@iaeme.com
4. PROPOSED PROTOTYPE
Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) hold the ability to generate new content.
―Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) is the most interesting idea in the last ten years in
machine learning.‖ — Yann LeCun, Director, Facebook AI. It consists of two rival models -
Generator and Discriminator. The generator model always tries to deceive the discriminator
model. This ensures the generation of more realistic images. If thought through, GANs could
be put to great use to develop an exceptional learning aid for the dyslexic. GANs can be used
to convert natural language text descriptions into images. Dyslexics have an exceptional
ability to think outside of the box. The existing learning aids do not complement this unique
ability. Our aid makes possible the visualization of their imagination. The application will
allow three types of inputs namely, image, speech and text which will be further converted
into text. The text will then either be converted into an image or will be voiced out to the child
with a visual representation. For example, let us assume that a voice input is given saying ‗A
yellow bird with white feathers‘. An image of a yellow bird with white feathers will be
generated. Now let‘s say that the input is ‗An apple is a fruit. It is red in colour.‘. Since this is
not a single line description, A window will open where these words will be voiced out at a
defined pace and all the nouns will be visually represented as they are pronounced. This will
help the child form better connections of their words with their respective images. Figure 8
portrays the landing page of our website. As mentioned above it can be seen that the tool
accepts three different kinds of inputs - Image ( for OCR), Speech ( for audio input ) and
Text. Everything is converted into text which is then converted into the required form.
Figure 8 Prototyping image
5. CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it is clear that audiovisual learning aids are one of the best ways to
inculcate skills such as reading, writing, spelling, basic mathematics, etc. The tools discussed
above have helped make the learning process for dyslexic children effortless and entertaining
to a considerable extent. Linking of the audio and visual sensory organs of the dyslexic gives
them a greater understanding due to a better formation of connection in the wiring of their
brain. These tools are helping them to figure out learning strategies that are more often
overlooked. In our approach, we have taken a step forward to expand the horizon and create
an all-inclusive platform where there are no boundaries of thought as GANs can provide
endless potential. Our prototype would help dyslexic students to visualize their thoughts. This

8. Manasa R, Ritika Shukla, Budhaditya Bhattacharyya and Radhika Agarwal
http://www.iaeme.com/IJEET/index.asp 218 editor@iaeme.com
would open a whole new realm of possibilities in the development of assistive technology for
dyslexic children.
REFERENCES
[1] Overy, K. (2000). Dyslexia, and Music: The Potential of Music as an Early Learning Aid
for Dyslexic Children. Psychology of Music, 28(2), 218–229.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735600282010
[2] Abdullah, Muhammad Haziq Lim & Hisham, Syariffanor & Parumo, Shahril. (2009).
MyLexics: an assistive courseware for Dyslexic children to learn basic Malay language.
ACM SIGACCESS Accessibility and Computing. 3–9. 10.1145/1651259.1651260.
[3] A. Mitra. (2008), ―Dyslexia and EFL. A Review of Literature and Empirical Studies:,
1-94.
[4] Sumit Pandey and Swati Srivastava. (2011). Tiblo: a tangible learning aid for children
with dyslexia. In Proceedings of the Second Conference on Creativity and Innovation in
Design (DESIRE ‘11). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA,
211–220. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/2079216.2079247
[5] Ahmad, Siti & Jinon, Noor & Rosmani, Arifah Fasha. (2013). MathLexic: An assistive
multimedia mathematical learning aid for dyslexia children. 390-394.
10.1109/BEIAC.2013.6560155.
[6] Sumit Pandey and Swati Srivastava. (2011). SpellBound: a tangible spelling aid for the
dyslexic child. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Human Computer
Interaction (IndiaHCI ‘11). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA,
101–104. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/2407796.2407813
[7] S. Purkayastha, N. Nehete and J. Purkayastha, (2012), "Dyscover - An Orton-Gillingham
approach inspired multi-sensory learning application for dyslexic children," 2012 World
Congress on Information and Communication Technologies, Trivandrum, pp. 685-690.
doi: 10.1109/WICT.2012.6409163
[8] S. Z. Ahmad, N.A.A.N. Ludin, H. M. Ekhsan, A. F. Rosmani and M. H. Ismail, (2012),
"Bijak Membaca — Applying Phonic Reading Technique and Multisensory Approach
with interactive multimedia for dyslexia children," 2012 IEEE Colloquium on Humanities,
Science and Engineering (CHUSER), Kota Kinabalu, pp. 554-559.
doi: 10.1109/CHUSER.2012.6504375
[9] J. Khakhar and S. Madhvanath, (2010), "JollyMate: Assistive Technology for Young
Children with Dyslexia," 2010 12th International Conference on Frontiers in Handwriting
Recognition, Kolkata, pp. 576-580.doi:10.1109/ICFHR.2010.95