Dialogical Reading
Scalable at-home Parental Intervention for Language and Literacy Development in Children with Developmental Language Delay
ABOUT
The project starts in 2026
Some children have trouble learning to speak and understand language. This can make it harder for them to learn to read, do well in school, find jobs later on, and stay mentally healthy. These struggles can lead to increased sick days, early retirement, and higher costs for healthcare and social services. Early intervention can make a big difference, but current programs don't always reach everyone on time due to limited resources. This project aims to create a theory-based app to support the parents of kids who have been screened positive for Developmental Language Disorder, saving money in the long run and supporting them to have better futures.
This project will create a simple phone app to help parents learn how to support their child's language development through a method called Dialogic Reading. Parents will get short lessons they can fit into daily life. The app will show, e.g., helpful videos, give clear tips, and send gentle reminders to keep parents on track during the test of the app. It will also let parents share their experience with the method and the app.
Meet the Team
This project is part of a bigger study led by the Early Language and Literacy Development group. The group leader is Prof. Jakob Åsberg Johnels, and the group consists of Carmela Miniscalco, Maria Larsson, Karin Strid, and Martyna Galazka.
Senior lecturer/Project Leader
University of Gothenburg
Martyna Galazka, Ph.D. (She/Her)
Martyna is an expert in complex cognitive processes focused on social perception and communication challenges in developmental conditions. Her research ranges from early cognitive development in infants to the physiological responses in people with autism during social interactions. Her studies on Williams syndrome and autism spectrum disorder investigate how social feedback, eye gaze, and interactive behaviour contribute to learning and emotional understanding.
Further, her work includes innovative methodological contributions in eye-tracking and psychophysiological measurements to better understand cognitive processing of social cues in children with specific neurodevelopmental profiles.
Senior lecturer
University of Gothenburg
Vasiliki Mylonopoulou, Ph.D. (She/Her)
Vasiliki is an expert in digital health, and she works with people with disabilities and chronic conditions to design inclusive, affordable technology, the inclusion of people with disabilities and chronic conditions in the design process of technology, and advocates for an inclusive digital society, especially related to wellness and healthcare. She has worked extensively on developing theory-based apps in combination with user-centred and participatory methodologies.
Vasiliki is dyslexic and has organised several events to raise awareness of diverse brains in academia, which led her to receive the Diversity and Equality award by the University of Oulu, Finland
Materials
CONTACT
Address: Forskningsgången 6, 417 56 Göteborg
Project Leader: Martyna Galazka
Email: Martyna.Galazka [at] gu.se