Research Publications

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Embargo
An Adaptive E-Learning Platform for Individuals with Down Syndrome
(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2025) Sandaruwan U.V.S.; Dias A.H.J.S.S; Shamindi H.M.H; Priyawansha N.G.D.; Chandrasiri L.H.S.S; Attanayaka B.
Children with Down Syndrome (DS) encounter varying degrees of learning disabilities within the traditional education framework, requiring personalized interventions. This paper presents Blooming Minds, an adaptive, Machine Learning (ML) driven e-learning platform designed to support the development of cognitive, linguistic, and motor skills in children with DS. Built on the VARK (Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, Kinematic) theory, the platform provides personalized activities using real-time feedback mechanisms. The system includes nine interactive modules that cover the above VARK theory. It uses ML algorithms, including Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) for screening, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) for handwriting and speech analysis, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) for sequence prediction, and Reinforcement Learning (RL) for adaptive difficulties. Handwritten letters and voice samples from children with DS, both domestic and international, were specifically considered as inputs for this research. Progress tracking dashboards provide visual insights for educators, parents, and caregivers, improving support and adaptability. The system achieved 91.26% accuracy in letter recognition and 88% in speech classification. This e-learning platform has been recognized as an effective solution in Sri Lanka, allowing for further correlations and investigations to assess the knowledge capacity and ability to express that knowledge in children with DS
Open Access
Recollecti ng Adolescent Experiences of Individuals Having a Sibling with Down’s Syndrome: A Qualitati ve Study
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Ranwala, W; Fernando, T
Adolescence is a crucial life stage marked by an individual’s transiti on into adulthood. Contrary to those with typically developing siblings, individuals who have a sibling with Down Syndrome (DS) follow a unique trajectory of life experiences associated with their sibling’s conditi on. Yet, this is an area unexplored in Sri Lankan scholarly research. The present study att empts to address this research gap by exploring adolescent experiences of having a sibling with DS; as recalled by adults. The study was conducted qualitati vely, uti lising semi-structured interviews. Data collected was analysed using themati c analysis. The sample consisted of six parti cipants who were adults, had a sibling with Down Syndrome, and were fl uent in English and/or Sinhala. Three main themes emerged addressing adolescent experiences att ributed to the DS sibling, in terms of; the nature of the sibling relati onship, family dynamics, challenges and coping with social support. Respecti ve subthemes highlight several details. Parents and siblings gradually adapted to the individual with DS, resulti ng in close familial relati onships. Parti cipants also illustrated how the sibling relati onship shaped them as individuals. Parental diff erenti al treatment and future caregiving responsibiliti es were expressed as challenging, along with societal discriminati on and sti gmati zati on. However, social support through extended family and peers helped cope with such challenges. Conclusively, adolescent experiences of having a sibling with DS consti tute both favourable and challenging aspects, infl uenced by many individual-specifi c and environmental elements.
Embargo
Assistive Learning Platform for Children with Down Syndrome
(IEEE, 2020-11-04) Wellala, S; Thathsarani, S. A; Senaratne, D; Samaranayake, P; Jayakody, A
Down Syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder. Researchers believe that persons with DS generally have poor logical knowledge, communication, motor skills, and skills needed for everyday life. The proposed system is a web-based assistive learning platform for children with DS to address those problems. It provides an excellent opportunity for learning educational subjects, including math and language. The authors also created interactive modules improving their health habits, social skills, and motor skills. Since the authors deeply consider their requirements, the system was developed by providing excellent features with those modules. Users' faces can be recognized to keep their attention with the system, thereby suggesting and referring their most interesting content according to their emotions while using the system. Also, the dashboard can analyze user data. Most importantly, it capable of assessing the users through the system. Here the research team has assessed 50 children with DS, and 31 showed improvement after using the system. Therefore, the proposed system with all these modules and features can be introduced as a very productive assistive learning platform in Sri Lanka.

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