Jellys: Towards a Videogame that Trains Rhythm and Visual Attention for Dyslexia
Mikel Ostiz-Blanco, Marie Lallier, Sergi Grau, Luz Rello, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Manuel Carreiras · 2018 · Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2018) · doi:10.1145/3234695.3241028
Summary
This demo paper describes Jellys, a video game designed to train two cognitive components linked to reading development — auditory rhythm perception and visual attention — as an intervention for children with dyslexia. The research is grounded in evidence that the cognitive symptoms of dyslexia are heterogeneous, and that training should target the specific cognitive component(s) impaired in each individual rather than focusing solely on phonological deficits as most existing approaches do. Studies have shown that rhythm training can improve reading ability and that the ability to tap in synchrony to a beat explains reading variance in young children. The game features a narrative involving two young archaeologists transported to a world of friendly creatures called Jellys, with a non-linear spatial map connecting four types of activities: two rhythm activities (tapping in synchrony to a beat and identifying/reproducing rhythmic patterns) and two visual attention activities (visual search among distractors and motion object tracking). The researchers first conducted a proof of concept with 10 children with dyslexia (ages 8-15), whose feedback on theme, characters, and gamification shaped the prototype.
Key findings
A user study with 44 Spanish-speaking children (22 with dyslexia, 22 without, ages 8-11, mean age 10.18) found no significant interaction differences between groups using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test — an important result confirming that the game is equally usable by children with and without dyslexia. Usability was rated highly, with a mean System Usability Scale score of 86.25 out of 100. The Game Experience Questionnaire showed strong engagement: high scores for competence (3.58/4), sensory and imagination (3.2/4), flow (3/4), and positive affect (3.73/4), with very low negative affect (0.25/4) and tension (0.13/4). The challenge score was low (1.06/4), suggesting the difficulty levels may need adjustment. The absence of group differences in interaction was expected and desired — the game aims to improve reading indirectly by training underlying cognitive skills, not by directly testing reading ability where differences would appear.
Relevance
Jellys represents an emerging approach to dyslexia intervention that uses serious games to train underlying cognitive skills rather than directly practicing reading. For accessibility practitioners, this work illustrates how game-based interventions can address learning disabilities without stigmatizing the user — children with and without dyslexia interact with the game identically. The dual-component training approach (rhythm plus visual attention) reflects current neuroscience understanding that dyslexia involves multiple cognitive pathways, not just phonological processing. While this is a short demo paper and longitudinal efficacy data is still needed, the high usability and engagement scores suggest the approach is promising for sustained use with children. The work contributes to the growing field of accessible educational technology and serious games for cognitive training.
Tags: dyslexia · serious games · game accessibility · reading accessibility · visual attention · auditory rhythm · cognitive accessibility · children · education