Digital Assistive Technologies for Primary School Children with Dyslexia: A Systematic Literature Review

1 Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines
Link Copied!

Evaluating the functional efficacy and multifaceted implementation barriers of digital assistive technology (DAT) interventions tailored for primary school learners aged 3 to 12 with dyslexia. Adhering strictly to PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature review across Google Scholar, ERIC, PubMed, and ScienceDirect identified nine empirical studies published between 2015 and 2025 (screened based on robust qualitative and quantitative extraction criteria involving children, educators, and specialists). The synthesized findings demonstrate that diverse digital interventions—ranging from text-to-speech systems and smartpens to haptic learning platforms and adaptive recommender software—consistently improve literacy skills, phonological awareness, executive functioning, and learner autonomy. Across the sample (ranging from single-subject case designs to large-scale data sets of n=5,478), qualitative and quantitative metrics show marked gains in decoding speed and homework independence. Nevertheless, optimal classroom integration remains hindered by systemic barriers, including inadequate teacher professional development, school resource limitations, non-compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and risks of peer stigma. The review concludes that stakeholders must transition from viewing DAT as isolated tools to establishing a collaborative, human-centered educational ecosystem. Achieving this paradigm shift requires robust, ongoing educator training, the direct embedding of digital accommodations into everyday literacy instruction, and the proactive implementation of universal design frameworks by technology developers to foster equitable, inclusive primary classrooms.

Gutierrez, J. C., Piamonte, M., Solomon, B., Daganos, J. L., & Catama, B. V. (2026). Digital Assistive Technologies for Primary School Children with Dyslexia: A Systematic Literature Review . ETDC: Indonesian Journal of Research and Educational Review , 6(1), 422–436. https://doi.org/10.51574/ijrer.v6i1.5498

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
  1. Adebisi, R. O., Liman, N. A., & Longpoe, P. K. (2015). Using assistive technology in teaching children with learning disabilities in the 21st century. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(24), 14–20. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1078825
  2. Ahmad, F. K. (2015). Use of assistive technology in inclusive education: making room for diverse learning needs. Transcience, 6(2), 62-77. https://doi.org/10.1515/trser-2015-0001
  3. Alsobhi, A. Y., Khan, N., & Rahanu, H. (2015). Personalised learning materials based on dyslexia types: ontological approach. Procedia computer science, 60, 113-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2015.08.110
  4. Basharpoor, S., Seif, E., & Daneshvar, S. (2024). Computerized Executive Functions Training: The efficacy on reading performance of children with dyslexia. Dyslexia, 30(2), e1762. https://doi.org/10.1002/dys.1762
  5. Bouloukou, F., Marin-Diaz, V., & Jimenez-Fanjul, N. (2021). Effects of an interventional music program on learning skills of primary-school students with dyslexia. International Journal of Education and Practice, 9(3), 456–467. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.61.2021.93.456.467
  6. Carroll, J. M., Holden, C., Kirby, P., Thompson, P. A., Snowling, M. J., Dyslexia Delphi Panel, ... & Rack, J. (2025). Toward a consensus on dyslexia: findings from a Delphi study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 66(7), 1065-1076. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14123
  7. Castles, A., Rastle, K., & Nation, K. (2018). Ending the reading wars: Reading acquisition from novice to expert. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 19(1), 5–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100618772271
  8. Catts, H. W., Terry, N. P., Lonigan, C. J., Compton, D. L., Wagner, R. K., Steacy, L. M., ... & Petscher, Y. (2024). Revisiting the definition of dyslexia: HW Catts et al. Annals of dyslexia, 74(3), 282-302. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-023-00295-3
  9. Dawson, K., Antonenko, P., Lane, H., & Zhu, J. (2019). Assistive technologies to support students with dyslexia. Teaching exceptional children, 51(3), 226-239. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059918794027
  10. Fernández-Batanero, J. M., Montenegro-Rueda, M., Fernández-Cerero, J., & García-Martínez, I. (2022). Assistive technology for the inclusion of students with disabilities: A systematic review. Educational technology research and development, 70(5), 1911-1930. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10127-7
  11. Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., & Malone, A. S. (2017). The taxonomy of intervention intensity. Teaching Exceptional Children, 50(1), 35-43. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059917703962
  12. Goharinejad, S., Goharinejad, S., Hajesmaeel-Gohari, S., & Bahaadinbeigy, K. (2022). The usefulness of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies in the diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children: an overview of relevant studies. BMC psychiatry, 22(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03632-1
  13. Hall, C., Dahl‐Leonard, K., Cho, E., Solari, E. J., Capin, P., Conner, C. L., ... & Kehoe, K. F. (2023). Forty years of reading intervention research for elementary students with or at risk for dyslexia: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Reading Research Quarterly, 58(2), 285-312. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.477
  14. Hämäläinen, J. A., Salminen, H. K., & Leppänen, P. H. (2013). Basic auditory processing deficits in dyslexia: systematic review of the behavioral and event-related potential/field evidence. Journal of learning disabilities, 46(5), 413-427. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219411436213
  15. Harper, K. A., Kurtzworth-Keen, K., & Marable, M. A. (2017). Assistive technology for students (elementary) with learning disabilities: A glimpse of the Livescribe pen and its impact on homework completion. Education and Information Technologies, 22(5), 2471–2483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-016-9555-0
  16. Hendren, R. L., Haft, S. L., Black, J. M., White, N. C., & Hoeft, F. (2018). Recognizing psychiatric comorbidity with reading disorders. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 101. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00101
  17. Iliska, D., & Gudoniene, D. (2025). Sustainable technology-enhanced learning for learners with dyslexia. Sustainability, 17(10), 4513. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104513
  18. Javed, S., Muniandy, M., Lee, C. K., Heng, L. E., & Husni, H. (2025). Enhancing neurodevelopment in children with dyslexia through haptic feedback: The HapticLearn 1.0 framework. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 20, 100862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100862
  19. López-Zamora, M., Porcar-Gozalbo, N., López-Chicheri, I., & Cano-Villagrasa, A. (2025). Parental stress, quality of life, and behavioral alterations in children with dyslexia. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 161, 105002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2025.105002
  20. MacLachlan, M., Banes, D., Bell, D., Borg, J., Donnelly, B., Fembek, M., ... & Hooks, H. (2018). Assistive technology policy: a position paper from the first global research, innovation, and education on assistive technology (GREAT) summit. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 13(5), 454-466. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2018.1468496
  21. Odegard, T. N., Farris, E. A., & Middleton, A. E. (2024). Dyslexia in the 21st century: revisiting the consensus definition: Odegard et al. Annals of Dyslexia, 74(3), 273-281. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-024-00316-9
  22. Peterson, R. L., & Pennington, B. F. (2015). Developmental dyslexia. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 11, 283–307. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032814-112842
  23. Petri, M. C., Messinis, L., Patrikelis, P., Nasios, G., Dimitriou, N., Nousia, A., & Kosmidis, M. H. (2025). Feasibility and clinical effectiveness of computer-based cognitive rehabilitation in illiterate and low-educated individuals with mild cognitive impairment: preliminary data. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 40(3), 382-393. https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acae078
  24. Pilatasig, J., Quimbita, R., & Barba, P. (2025). Multisensory Strategies for Children with Dyslexia. International Conference on Data-Processing and Networking (pp. 71-81). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-27691-9_7
  25. Ramírez, M. A. N., Rodríguez, M. M., Salas, M. J. C., & Rincón, E. H. H. (2026). Artificial intelligence in diagnosis of pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders: a scoping review. World Journal of Pediatrics, 22(3), 315-329. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12519-025-00999-z
  26. Rao, K., Torres, C., & Smith, S. J. (2021). Digital tools and UDL-based instructional strategies to support students with disabilities online. Journal of Special Education Technology, 36(2), 105-112. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162643421998327
  27. Romero, A., Garay, U., Tejada, E., & De La Serna, A. L. (2023). Efficacy of Berni: A software for preschoolers at risk of dyslexia. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 38, 100411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2021.100411
  28. Schwade, L. F., Zen, P. R. G., & Sleifer, P. (2025). Mismatch negativity in children with developmental dyslexia. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 189, 112229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijporl.2025.112229
  29. Shaikh, M. F., Higley, C., Campanile, C., Francis, R., Panja, E., Santacaterina, S., ... & Piaggio, D. (2025). Serious gaming and eye-tracking for the screening, monitoring, and diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders in children: a systematic literature review. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 13, 1672718. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2025.1672718
  30. Share, D. L. (2021). Common misconceptions about the phonological deficit theory of dyslexia. Brain Sciences, 11(11), 1510. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11111510
  31. Skočić Mihić, S., Martan, V., & Rončević Zubković, B. (2022). Educational interventions for primary school students with Dyslexia–a mapping study. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 38(5), 415-435. https://doi.org/10.1080/10573569.2021.1972879
  32. Snowling, M. J., Hulme, C., & Nation, K. (2020). Defining and understanding dyslexia: Past, present and future. Oxford review of education, 46(4), 501-513. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2020.1765756
  33. Supriatna, A., & Ediyanto, E. (2021). The implementation of multisensory technique for children with dyslexia. Indonesian Journal of disability studies, 8(1), 279-293. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.ijds.2021.008.01.17
  34. Taruna, R. (2022). The effectiveness of phonemic awareness intervention in student with dyslexia. Asia Pacific Journal of Developmental Differences, 9(1), 143-153. https://doi.org/10.3850/S2345734122000157
  35. Trujillo, J. I. M., Rodríguez-Rodríguez, I., Castillo-Barnes, D., Ortiz, A., Sánchez, A., & Luque, J. L. (2025). Optimizing dyslexia intervention through an adaptive sequential recommender system. Knowledge-Based Systems, 114309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.knosys.2025.114309
  36. Vanden Bempt, F., Van Herck, S., Economou, M., Vanderauwera, J., Vandermosten, M., Wouters, J., & Ghesquière, P. (2022). Speech perception deficits and the effect of envelope-enhanced story listening combined with phonics intervention in pre-readers at risk for dyslexia. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1021767. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1021767
  37. Veytia Bucheli, M. G., Gómez-Galán, J., Cáceres Mesa, M. L., & López Catalán, L. (2024). Digital technologies as enablers of universal design for learning: Higher education students' perceptions in the context of SDG4. Discover Sustainability, 5(1), 473. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00699-0
  38. Walda, S. A. E., van Weerdenburg, M., & Bosman, A. M. T. (2024). Working memory training in students with dyslexia: Additional effects to reading and spelling remediation not likely. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 155, 104865. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104865
  39. Wilkey, E. D. (2023). The domain‐specificity of domain‐generality: Attention, executive function, and academic skills. Mind, Brain, and Education, 17(4), 349-361. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12373
  40. Zhang, Z. (2026). Neuroimaging meta-analyses of phonological awareness deficits in children with developmental dyslexia. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 20(2), 35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-026-01100-6
  41. Zou, L., Zhu, K., Jiang, Q., Xiao, P., Wu, X., Zhu, B., & Song, R. (2022). Quality of life in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia: A cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 12(1), e052278. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052278

Similar Articles

<< < 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Dimension Badge
Crossmark Badge
Section
Articles