DEA Web Application: Training Phonological and Morphological Skills in Italian Children with Developmental Dyslexia

Developmental dyslexia is characterized by persistent reading and spelling difficulties, but it also involves broader linguistic vulnerabilities, particularly at the phonological and morphological levels. These difficulties affect decoding accuracy and fluency and, in turn, text comprehension, highlighting the need for intervention programs that strengthen skills at different levels of linguistic analysis. This paper presents DEA, a modular web-based platform designed to deliver personalized linguistic training to Italian children with developmental dyslexia aged 8-12. Compared with other digital tools, DEA represents a novel contribution by focusing on phonological and morphological sublexical processing, with particular attention to Italian derivational morphology. The platform integrates phonological and morphological activities with timed, fluency-oriented exercises and allows therapists to assign individualized training paths, monitor progress, and adapt subsequent activities based on performance. We present a first study conducted with 78 Italian children, including 50 children with developmental dyslexia and 28 typically developing peers. Children with dyslexia were assigned to either a training or a control group. The training group completed a personalized 10-week intervention consisting of 30 remote sessions. Results confirmed weaker decoding and linguistic skills in children with dyslexia and showed intervention-related gains at both phonological and morphological levels, with positive effects on decoding and text comprehension. Usability questionnaires completed by parents and children indicated that DEA was generally perceived as accessible, engaging, and easy to use.