Dyslexia exercises on my tablet are more fun

Abstract

Worldwide, around 10% of the children have dyslexia, a learning disability characterised by difficulties with accurate word recognition and poor spelling. These difficulties can be overcome by language exercises. Typically, they come in the form of books. Hence, they are static and do not adapt to a child's specific needs. We present Dyseggxia, a game for mobile devices for children with dyslexia. It features five different exercises, which were derived from previous research on dyslexic errors. A study with 12 children with dyslexia confirmed that the game is fun and more attractive than traditional exercises. When playing, the exercises adapt to the specific difficulties of the individual player. The game is available for free for iOS and Android and it has been adopted into the program of institutions which support children with dyslexia. This is the first time English and Spanish reinforcement exercises are presented in an adaptive and fun-to-do way.