Interactive Book to Support Language Therapy

Adda Avendaño

With the interactive book “Mi mundo de palabras," the product of a research project by Dr. Edna Patricia Quezada Bolaños and Dr. Jessica Giselle Domínguez Muñoz, faculty members of the Centro de Estudios Científicos y Tecnológicos (CECyT) 2 "Miguel Bernard," teachers, students, and alumni propose a support tool for children suffering from Specific Language Impairment.

The prototype contains a series of elements that provide children with an enjoyable environment, such as interactive images and three-dimensional figures (pop-ups), augmented reality, and virtual reality, technologies that they consider could be introduced into clinical practice to improve communication skills.

After visiting doctors and therapists at a Telethon Child Rehabilitation and Inclusion Center (CRIT) and another from the National System for the Integral Development of the Family (DIF), in addition to some private specialists, the polytechnic teachers structured a research protocol that included the participation of students and alumni from the Digital Graphic Design technical career.

Students María Belén Martínez Almaraz, Dana Sabi Coria Gallegos, and Karla Joana Soto Hernández designed the book layouts, covers, and augmented reality from scratch. They were joined by graduates Ignacio Pomares Mayen and Diego Cruz Castillo, who were responsible for designing the virtual reality environments.

The polytechnic students commented that the technical aspect was the easy part, given their foundation in design fundamentals, form analysis, use of vector software, image editing, 3D modeling, and video editing. The real challenge, they expressed, was structuring the book in a specific order that would assist the children in their therapy.

"The book had to have an order; first, we had to depict the parts of the mouth and how they function, then comes the praxis, which is how they should move it according to different pronunciation exercises; if this part is not developed correctly, instead of helping them, it could be harmful," noted Belén Martínez.

The finished prototype resulted in a kit that initially includes a test that quickly diagnoses if the user is a candidate for language therapy (for whom the publication could be more useful, although any child can use it), the book, and a website with exercise recommendations endorsed by therapists.

The polytechnic teachers and project leaders highlighted the value of having a support tool for this disorder, which can be affordable since therapy sessions are very costly and rehabilitation centers such as CRIT are often located in remote areas.

Likewise, they emphasized the importance of detecting and treating language disorders promptly because they can impact other areas such as reading and writing, mathematical comprehension, and even social interaction. Additionally, it could be a symptom of other specific behavioral disorders.

Gaceta Politécnica #1796. (May 31st, 2024). IPN Imagen Institucional: Read the full magazine in Spanish here.