Public Funding for Synergation Limited

Developmental Dyslexia is a learning difficulty and a disability, as defined by the Equality Act 2010\. Dyslexia is characterised by difficulties in language processing (reading, spelling and writing) which do not correspond with an individual's general intellectual abilities. In addition, dyslexia occurs across a wide spectrum, which makes it difficult to identify the suitable customised interventions. This project intends to apply case-based reasoning (CBR), an artificial intelligence technique that solves newly encountered problems by applying the solutions learned from solving similar problems encountered in the past. The product retrieves stored previous cases with similar presentations to the current individual, and then formulates a dyslexia intervention regime based on the success of these previous experiences. The outputs of the CD4 tool will make a critical contribution to deciding the best course of action. When combined with human subject-matter expertise, it will lead to step function improvements in decision-making. The project brings together an innovative UK micro-company, and respected academic and dyslexia experts to develop an automated digital solution that vastly improves the outcomes for our users.

Dyslexia, a learning difficulty and a disability as defined in the Equality Act 2010, has serious short and long-term effects from the start of education of a child. It is estimated that between 5% to 10% of children in the UK may be suffering from dyslexia. It is generally agreed that the earlier dyslexic difficulties are identified the more effective treatment will be. Our project will significantly improve the early diagnosis, monitoring and management of dyslexia by assessing a user's reading ability across the spectrum, and a range of other non-linguistic skills such as visual perception, visio-spatial attention and fine auditory perception. This will be delivered using a game-based mobile app aimed at young children (years 4 to 8), parents and teachers to firstly assess, and then monitor and manage the progress in a convenient, cost-effective and private environment. The purpose of this feasibility project is to define the digital dyslexia health app and its underlying components with all its variants and characteristics. The specific objectives are: (1) to design interactive reading, visual and auditory games, (2) to design the user-interface and present mock-up screens, (3) to outline the complete specifications and architecture of the mobile app, (4) to finalise the business case.