Can Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) help learners with dyslexia?

Posted by Craig Mill on the 2nd May, 2024

Category Dyslexia Assistive Technology

I apologise for the rhetorical question, but I've been considering it for the past few months, especially since I had to prepare for a webinar and workshop on the topic of dyslexia and artificial intelligence.

Initially, I found it difficult to disentangle the various components of AI. Although I had heard of ChatGPT, I had never used it and knew very little about it.

However, as I became more acquainted with the different AI platforms, I became aware of their potential for learners who are dyslexic or have ASN. Nevertheless, despite AI's advantages, there are certain things to be wary of, which I will address later. 

 Warning - sections of this blog were compiled using Generative AI 

Scroll down for more on:

• What is Generative AI
• Issues surrounding using AI in the classroom 
• The archived video recording of the 'Using AI to Support Dyslexia' webinar. 

What kind of AI can help?

Generative AI is currently the AI model that is used. According to IBM, Generative AI refers to deep-learning models that can generate high-quality text, images, and other content based on the data, e.g., Large Language Models (LLM) they were trained on. Since AI and LLM models are designed to process and make decisions based on data; data quality is critical to the model's accuracy and reliability.

Source: What is generative AI?

This short 2-minute animated video explains the benefits and potential issues surrounding generative AI. 

Generative AI, therefore can be used to create not only a range of teaching and learning resources, such as worksheets and lesson plans, but it can also be used to enhance or improve writing and much more, e.g.,  

• correct spelling and grammar with Microsoft's Copilot, Google Gemini, or Grammarly 
• rephrase and paraphrase with Copilot, Gemini or Quillbot or Goblin Tools
• help with creative writing using one or all of the above
• dictation tools such as Google Voice Typing, Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Ditate
• Microsoft's Immersive Reader and Read Aloud (AI-powered)
• convert images to text, e.g., Apple's Live Text and Google Lens
• convert handwriting to text with Claude AI (including the dyslexia-friendly font)

And the brilliant Sora AI that creates videos from simple sentences. 

Below are examples of slides from the 'Using AI to Support Learners with Dyslexia' webinar. 

Potential threats and issues surrounding Generative AI in the class

As highlighted above Generative AI is based on Large Language Models (LLM) and the accuracy and reliability of these models should be critically considered, for example, who created them, what is their purpose and can we trust them when used by learners?

Other issues include:

• AI is only as good as its data – who designed/created the LLM?
• Accuracy and trust
• Are they biased?
• Do they represent the diverse cultural elements of society?
• What about privacy and security (DPIA) - do they store data?
• What happens if pupils become over-reliant on  AI?
• What about learning to learn? An example is a pupil who previously struggled with basic spelling and grammar but suddenly submits perfect prose!
• Authenticity vs Plagiarism
• Is there potential to infringe copyright?

Guardrails and safeguards should therefore be considered to ensure learner safety.

Using AI to Support Dyslexia webinar - watch the video recording 

It was difficult to compress everything into 20 minutes but hopefully, the video below gives a flavour of the various things I discovered when preparing for the workshop and the webinar. 

The video includes the following;

• the importance of asking the correct 'prompts' (a question, command, or statement that you input into an AI model to initiate a response or action)
• using Copilot's 'Compose Tool' to paraphrase and rephrase a case study - Hamish, a primary school pupil, uses his technology in school
• using Google Lens and Live text to convert images, and books to a readable and accessible format. 
• the process of using a prompt in Copilot "please explain what this image is about" to convert and process an image to Immersive Reader. 
• using Copilot to generate a humorous creative story based on the prompt - "please write me a funny story about an elephant, a banana and a bicycle"
• a voice typing example where Copilot adds (as if by magic) quotation marks to some text dictated from a book
• Claude AI converts handwriting to text
• Generate a 'fill-in-the-blank' worksheet with spaces for pupils to write their answers. 

ASL and Technology Conference 2024

If you are interested in learning more about how technology can be used to support learners with additional support needs our ASL and Technology Online Conference is fast approaching. Find out more and book your place here.