10 years of helping children with dyslexia and dyscalculia

On May 22, 2007, a spin-​off from ETH's computer science department sent its first 23 software packages in the post, just a weeks after being founded by Prof. Markus Gross and one of his students. A decade later, this same company has grown to over 100,000 users. The driving force behind this remarkable tech company growth? Teaching young children to learn and love to read letters and numbers.

Personalized and adaptive learning

Dybuster's series of software aim to assist young children with dyslexia learn to read and write. The software is kept at the forefront of educational assistive technology with the aid of constant research and development. After Dybuster released the initial software ‘Orthograph’ for dyslexia, they furthered their work onto a next generation software called ‘Calcularis’ which specializes in dyscalculia. Both programs have repeatedly demonstrated their efficiency in scientific studies worldwide. Their programs contain personal support and individualized training to better match the level and needs of the users.

Adapting to technological challenges

Our social and educational relationship with the internet and technology has dramatically changed since the software’s initial release in 2007. Only one month after Dybuster’s start, the first mass-produced smartphone was released – tablets soon followed. Correspondingly, Dybuster’s software has synchronized to the new trends and devices – keeping their software accessible and efficient. Their success over this rapidly changing tech environment is a testament to their adaptability to tech (and lifestyle) changes.

Strong scientific foundation

Dybuster has always focused on the combination of neuropsychology and computer sciences to create educational assistive technology. The core aim is the modelling of the learning processes in the brain with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. The software extends beyond traditional multimedia resources (animations, sound and speech) and makes use of emerging multimedia such as 3D graphics to assist the brain build new paths to make learning engaging.

Lifelong learning and employability

Global connectivity, smart machines, and new media are just some of the drivers that reshape how we learn and develop the skills to work in the future. People affected by learning disabilities can frequently miss out on educational opportunities from these often-reversible learning difficulties. Because of digitization and the 4.0 industries, these learning disabilities can also be devastating to one’s career opportunities. Most people will have at least six different careers, requiring fundamental reeducating, whilst the relentless speed of innovation will constantly demand new skills and knowledge to keep pace. Dyslexia and dyscalculia affect individuals throughout their lives and are a global matter. That is why Dybuster has expanded its Swiss base to further countries such as Germany, the USA, Canada, Brazil and India.

For further reading:
Orthograph:
-  M. Kast, G.M. Baschera, M. Gross, L. Jaencke, M. Meyer, Computer-based learning of spelling skills in children with and without dyslexia, Annals of Dyslexia, pp. 1-24, 2011
-  M. Kast, M. Meyer, C. Voegeli, M. Gross and L. Jaencke, Computer-based multisensory learning in children with developmental dyslexia, Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, Vol. 25, Pages 355-369, IOS Press, 2007

Calcularis:
-  L. Rauscher, J. Kohn, T. Kaeser, V. Mayer, K. Kucian, U. McCaskey, G. Esser and M. von Aster, Evaluation of a computer-based training program for enhancing arithmetic skills and spatial number representation in primary school children, Frontiers in Psychology, 7:913, 2016
-  T. Kaeser, G.-M. Baschera, J. Kohn, K. Kucian, V. Richtmann, U. Grond, M. Gross, and M. von Aster, Design and evaluation of the computerbased training program Calcularis for enhancing numerical cognition, Frontiers in Developmental Psychology, 4:489, 2013