title: Text-to-audiovisual speech synthesizer for children with learning disabilities.
abstract: Learning disabilities affect the ability of children to learn, despite their having normal intelligence. Assistive tools can highly increase functional capabilities of children with learning disorders such as writing, reading, or listening. In this article, we describe a text-to-audiovisual synthesizer that can serve as an assistive tool for such children. The system automatically converts an input text to audiovisual speech, providing synchronization of the head, eye, and lip movements of the three-dimensional face model with appropriate facial expressions and word flow of the text. The proposed system can enhance speech perception and help children having learning deficits to improve their chances of success.
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR 72204, USA. esmendi@ualr.edu
authors.forename: Engin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mendi
authors.forename: Coskun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bayrak
mesh_terms: D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D002648:Child; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014584:User-Computer Interface