Dyslexia is one of the most common language based learning difficulties and can affect up to 10% of the population. Without adequate support, dyslexia can have long term consequences on a child’s life, affecting their learning in the classroom, as well as their self-confidence and future life chances. Children diagnosed with dyslexia early in their school lives have more time and opportunity for the right interventions and support that will allow them to flourish. Although early diagnosis is important, existing methods can be very time consuming and resource intensive as they are carried out manually.
Lexplore was developed by Swedish researchers Mattias Nilsson Benfatto and Gustaf Öqvist Seimyr, scientists at Karolinska Institutet. It's a screening tool that makes it possible to identify children with reading and writing difficulties early on, using cloud analytics, artifical intelligence and eye tracking technology to help screen for the likelihood of dyslexia or related learning difficulties. This means that schools can intervene quickly and children no longer need to fall behind. The method also provides useful data for schools and districts on children’s general reading and writing ability.
This method ensures that every child can have access to screening, so that fewer children go undiagnosed. The Lexplore team is able to quickly screen large groups of children, by taking them out of class for only 5 minutes each to read short texts. Upon receiving the results, the school is then empowered to make decisions about getting a full diagnosis and early support for at risk children.
Schools may be wary of investing in the screening, as with all early intervention, it is impossible to know how big the impact might be. It's critical that all schools understand the importance of early detection of dyslexia.
Lexplore have won many awards, such as the Best Intelligent Cloud Solution by Microsoft, to celebrate the innovativeness and impact of their work.
