New Tasks for a Dyslexia Screening Web Application

Dyslexia is the most common learning disability and it is characterized by a persistent failure to acquire reading skills despite normal intelligence, adequate cognitive abilities, conventional instruction and sociocultural opportunities. The main target of the present study was to extend our previous dyslexia screener web application by constructing and embedding new tasks. An extended battery of tests was implemented, which included sentence comprehension, auditory working memory, syllable composition and word explanation skills. Moreover, another aim of the study was to incorporate these tests into our existing web application. Statistical analysis revealed that dyslexic children presented lower correct responses (p < 0.01) and larger time latency (p < 0.05) in comparison to their average peers in all four tasks of the web application. Additionally, the main purpose of delivering a screening procedure via internet is that the users are doing something useful while perceiving that they are “playing a game”. The present study does not replace a seven task battery of tests with a four task one. One the contrary, it enriches an already used seven task battery with four more tests in order to design a more complete dyslexia web application screener.