Training AI to spot dyslexia

WAMC’s Academic Minute features Venu Govindaraju, UB’s vice president for research and economic development, who discussed how his research team is training AI models to recognize early signs of dyslexia and dysgraphia in children’s handwriting. The segment notes that Govindaraju is director and principal investigator of the National Artificial Intelligence Institute for Exceptional Education at UB, an effort supported by a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. “Ultimately, the tool will be an aid to speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists, who will continue to play critical roles diagnosing and treating these conditions,” Govindaraju says. “It will help identify these learning challenges early, and ensure that children receive the care they need, positively impacting their long-term learning and socio-emotional development.”