Reading Assistive Tool (ReaDys) for Dyslexic Children

Speech Recognition Performance

Abstract

Reading is one of the most challenging skills for dyslexic children to acquire at a young age. Therefore, it is crucial to assist dyslexic children in reading at an early age to avoid future reading difficulties that may have an impact on their academic progress and social emotions. However, the current conventional method of assisting dyslexic children requires trained personnel, a task that is arduous due to the limited school hours and dearth of accessible educational materials. Therefore, this study aims to develop an intelligence-assisted prototype system (ReaDys) for assisting dyslexic children's reading processes using a speech-to-text interface. The speech-based system was successfully developed using Microsoft Speech Application Programming Interface (API) with a specific interface design for dyslexic children. Microsoft Visual Studio and a C# Windows Form application are the technology tools used to complete the prototype development. Eighteen children were tested on 42 (forty-two) Malay words and phrases. After incorporating the Confusion Matrix, the prototype system achieved an accuracy of 75% with a 25% error rate. As a result, the developed prototype has the potential to serve as a technology-aided Malay language reading practice tool for dyslexic children that could be implemented to improve their reading skills.