This New York Startup Aims to Diagnose and Treat Dyslexia with the Help of A.I. Games
Dyslexia affects up to one in five children globally and has been a persistent challenge for educators and families. Dr. Coral Hoh, a clinical linguist, describes the neurobiological learning disorder as fundamentally a “code error in the brain’s reading system” that interferes accurate and fluent word recognition. “Each component in this system comprises billions of data points, and linguistic ability entails billions and billions of possible permutations. Therefore, the problem becomes essentially a computational one,” Hoh told Observer.
Hoh’s startup, Dysolve, founded in 2017, aims to approach this common learning disability differently. Instead of relying on standardized testing kits, the company utilizes A.I. to generate dynamic HTML5 games that pinpoint every child’s unique learning challenges.
Dysolve is addressing disconnect between costly diagnoses and limited treatment resources, leaving less than half of dyslexic students with the help they need. Dyslexia is a tricky condition to treat, partly because it’s often misdiagnosed and treatments tend to be expensive. Traditional dyslexia treatments can cost over $20,000 per year, especially in states like New York and California. In comparison, Dysolve’s solution is priced at $1,000 per year for school contracts on a per-pupil basis or $222 per pupil on individual monthly subscriptions.
How does A.I. dyslexia diagnosis and treatment work?
The A.I.-powered platform can tackle language processing inefficiencies that contribute to a range of learning difficulties, including dyslexia (reading), dysgraphia (writing) and dyscalculia (math). To assess each user, Dysolve’s gaming interface gathers important data about how their brain processes language. This data is then sent to an A.I. system for analysis. Based on the results, the A.I. generates the next game for the user—either to keep assessing or to address the identified inefficiency.
Hoh said the biggest challenge in addressing dyslexia lies in identifying the specific impaired aspects of a child’s language processing and understanding the extent to which these difficulties impact their learning. With this in mind, the program is designed to be user-friendly, so young children can use it independently without needing constant adult help.
“Language processing occurs in milliseconds within the brain and demands systems to function at sub-second speeds to keep up. That’s why we designed an autonomous system,” Hoh explained. “Once they’re (children) in the game lobby, only one game is available to play at any given time. Our A.I. tailors games in real time based on user progress, integrating evaluation and intervention to address inefficiencies within each session.” Treasure points are awarded at the end of each game to make them effective and engaging, motivating children to stay committed throughout the program. Likewise, the A.I. also dynamically adjusts to each child’s progress, gradually increasing the level of challenge as their skills improve.
A.I. shows promise in treating neurological disorders
A.I. is already making strides in treating neurological disorders. Doctors at the American Neurological Association (ANA) are using A.I. for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of conditions like Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and stroke. Using pattern recognition from extensive databases, A.I. helps identify the right treatments for patients, combining brain imaging with other test results to improve early detection and diagnosis. Moreover, A.I. is aiding researchers in understanding how Alzheimer’s disease risk genes affect the brain, including their role in shrinking the hippocampus—the area responsible for learning, memory and emotional regulation.
Many A.I. startups are also stepping into this space. San Francisco-based Viz.ai uses A.I. to assist in stroke diagnosis by analyzing scans to detect patterns. Menlo Park, Calif.-based Octave Bioscience offers A.I.-driven molecular diagnostic and blood tests to track and prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
Dysolve claims that students have shown measurable improvement after using its A.I. platform—with some progressing from the bottom 25th percentile to the 50th percentile in just a year. “The 25th-30th percentile in standardized reading assessments is often considered the threshold for dyslexia in research,” Hoh said. “When users reach 90-100 percent efficiency in major areas of language processing on the platform, they often experience noticeable improvements in school grades within just two months.”
Hoh added that the improvements seen from the AI-powered platform last even after students stop using the program. “Most of our users began with Dysolve in elementary or middle school,” she said. “Many later achieved Honors in high school. Today, they’re thriving in college or have already graduated.”