Dissolve: IoT and AR-based Multisensory Therapy Tools for Children with Dyslexia

Abstract

Children with dyslexia experience difficulties in recognizing characters, which lead to limitations in reading ability. This challenge is further compounded by their short attention span. Conventional therapy methods guided by child psychologists have been used for a long time but remain time-consuming and require intensive supervision. The growing trend of technological innovation has encouraged students to develop new approaches that enhance therapeutic experiences using modern technology. Therefore, this study introduces an innovation in the form of a multisensory therapy device based on the Internet of Things (IoT) and non-visual Augmented Reality (AR). The device is designed to improve therapeutic intervention for children with dyslexia. Dissolve integrates tactile puzzle elements equipped with NFC sensors and an ESP32 microcontroller, connected to a Progressive Web App (PWA) that provides real-time interactive feedback without using a camera. The development process was conducted by Information Systems students using the Design Thinking approach with the Double Diamond model (Discover–Define–Develop–Deliver). The tool was tested directly with children diagnosed with dyslexia. Experimental results show significant improvements in phonetic accuracy (from single-letter recognition to >95% sequential phoneme accuracy), decoding ability for two- to six-letter words and focus duration from approximately 30 minutes to one hour per session. Dissolve also demonstrated high usability, stable connectivity (BLE signal loss < 2%), and improved therapy efficiency compared to conventional methods. These findings affirm that Dissolve serves as an innovative multisensory therapy solution for children with dyslexia, making the therapeutic process more inclusive, efficient, and engaging.