Are modern edtech apps leaving neurodivergent learners behind? These 6 steps make sure more people are catered for.

This article is about the perfect features for literacy learning apps for ALL students, but I have hidden an engineering reference in the title that relates to the article. Hint: Infinite resistance. Drop a comment if you get it…Anyway, back to the show…

Considering students with learning difficulties like ADHD and dyslexia when creating learning resources is essential for ensuring all students have the opportunity to succeed in a classroom environment. Far too often, there are apps that fall short of the mark. This is why it was very important to me that when building SpellMe, these things were considered (Check out my first article to find out what SpellMe is and why I’m building it). In this article, I’ll explore the features that make learning apps more accessible for students with these and other neurodivergent challenges and how such features can be integrated into educational tools. These features, many of which are already in SpellMe, should be present in all literacy learning apps to be truly inclusive. Some of them, like adaptive learning and gamification are a no brainer, but many apps still fall short. I encourage developers of these apps to steal, borrow, share, and implement these ideas in your own work. BTW, each of the 6 points has links to further research at the bottom of this article, which are definitely worth checking out!

1. Personalized and Adaptive Learning

A core principle in any learning app is the ability to personalize the learning experience and adapt it to the student’s needs. For students with learning difficulties, this is crucial in keeping them engaged and ensuring that they progress without becoming overwhelmed.

Apps that offer adaptive learning algorithms can adjust the difficulty of tasks based on the student’s current performance. For example, if a student consistently struggles with certain words, the app can automatically lower the difficulty or provide additional hints, but at the same time make sure the student will eventually reach that more difficult level. This approach allows the student to progress at their own pace. This adaptability ensures that the student is always challenged, but never pushed beyond their capabilities.

Additionally, personalized learning paths that allow students to control their learning experience, such as choosing specific words for practice, can make the process more engaging and effective. This enables students to focus on areas they need improvement while ensuring that they are working at a pace that is comfortable for them, giving them more control over their learning journey.

2. Multisensory Accessibility and Cross-Device Compatibility

Multisensory learning is critical for students with dyslexia. By combining auditory, visual, and tactile inputs, apps can help reinforce the material in different ways, making it easier for dyslexic learners to process and retain information. For example, the use of high-quality text-to-speech (TTS) is essential for dyslexic learners to hear and internalize the words they are learning. Check out the link on the importance of TTS in dyslexia intervention below

However, it’s not just about multisensory elements. Accessibility should also extend to how an app works across different platforms. With technology becoming more ubiquitous, it’s crucial that learning apps work consistently across devices such as iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac. An ideal learning app should offer a uniform experience across these devices, ensuring that students can access high-quality features like TTS, success animations, and other multisensory cues, regardless of their device.

Providing consistent accessibility across platforms while maintaining high-quality, user-friendly features is no easy task, and I have the mental scars to prove it (a story for another day)! But it’s necessary for ensuring that all students can engage with the app, regardless of the device they use.

3. Gamification: Adding Motivation and Fun

Gamification can make learning fun and motivating, which is essential for students with ADHD, who often struggle with maintaining attention and engagement. Features such as scoring systems, leaderboards, and badges can transform learning into a challenge, encouraging students to improve their performance.

Including game-like elements, whether through points, levels, or rewards, keeps the learning process enjoyable and competitive. These features not only motivate students to perform their best but also create a sense of accomplishment and progression. Students are more likely to return to the app when they know they will be rewarded for their effort.

4. Dyslexia-Friendly Features: Font Choices for Better Readability

Creating dyslexia-friendly features is essential for improving readability and making the learning process more accessible for dyslexic students. For example, using Lexend or OpenDyslexic fonts, which are specifically designed to make reading easier for dyslexic learners, can reduce confusion and improve comprehension. My previous article delved into this topic in more detail.

Providing students with the ability to do things like customize the font type and colors allow them to create a learning environment that is optimal for their needs. By offering these customizable options, the app ensures that all learners can engage with the material in the most effective way for them.

5. Shorter Learning Sessions for Focused Engagement

For students with ADHD, long learning sessions can lead to frustration and disengagement. That’s why it’s important to break down learning into shorter, more manageable sessions.

For example, limiting wordlists to 10 words or less per session helps prevent students from feeling overwhelmed. Furthermore, features that allow students to save progress for longer lessons ensures that they can continue their learning at another time, without losing track of where they left off. This flexibility is essential for learners who may benefit from shorter bursts of focus, followed by breaks.

6. Phonics-Based Themes for Early Literacy

Phonics-based themes for spelling are essential for early literacy, particularly for students with dyslexia. Apps that integrate phonics-based themes, such as short and long vowel sounds, digraphs, and double letters, ensure that students practice key phonetic patterns not only when reading but when spelling, too.

These curated wordlists focus on fundamental literacy skills, which are especially beneficial for dyslexic students who often struggle with reading and word recognition. By practicing words based on recognized phonics principles, students can develop a stronger foundation for both spelling and reading.

Conclusion: The Road Ahead

All of the features discussed above are essential for creating accessible learning environments for students with ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodivergent based learning difficulties.

These features are not only beneficial for students with learning difficulties, they enhance the experience for all learners. Many of these features are already present in SpellMe, such as personalized and adaptive learning through automatic level reduction for difficult words, multisensory features like high-quality TTS, success animations, and sounds, and dyslexia-friendly fonts throughout. In future versions, SpellMe will further incorporate game-based rewards, AI-powered personalized hints, and more analysis features to ensure that every student has the tools they need to succeed.

As I mentioned in the introduction, these ideas should be borrowed, shared, and incorporated into every literacy learning app, not just mine. They can help create better, more inclusive learning experiences.

So, who got the engineering reference? Drop me a comment. Also, check out SpellMe.app. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Links to Research, as Promised:

1.Personalized and Adaptive Learning
Personalized Learning for Neurodivergent Students: What Works
Insighte. (n.d.). Personalized Learning for Neurodivergent Students: What Works. Retrieved from Insighte

2.Multisensory Accessibility and Cross-Device Compatibility
Effect of Text-to-Speech Software on Academic Achievement of Students with Dyslexia
Bhola, N. (2022). Effect of Text-to-Speech Software on Academic Achievement of Students with Dyslexia. Integrated Journal for Research in Arts and Humanities, 2(4), 51–55. Retrieved from Integrated Journal for Research in Arts and Humanities

3.Gamification: Adding Motivation and Fun
Developing Two Game-Based Interventions for Dyslexia: Therapeutic Interventions Using Gamification and Serious Games Approaches
Authors. (2022). Developing Two Game-Based Interventions for Dyslexia: Therapeutic Interventions Using Gamification and Serious Games Approaches. Entertainment Computing, 35, 100352. Retrieved from Entertainment Computing Journal

4.Dyslexia-Friendly Features: Font Choices for Better Readability
Lexend: Improving Readability for All
Lexend. (n.d.). Improving Readability for All. Retrieved from Lexend

5.Shorter Learning Sessions for Focused Engagement
Effective Strategies for Teaching and Supporting Students with ADHD
Enlightened Minds. (n.d.). Effective Strategies for Teaching and Supporting Students with ADHD. Retrieved from Enlightened Minds

6.Phonics-Based Spelling Themes for Early Literacy
Response to Phonics Through Spelling Intervention in Children with Dyslexia
Authors. (2019). Response to Phonics Through Spelling Intervention in Children with Dyslexia. Journal of Learning Disabilities. DOI: 10.1080/10573569.2019.1707732