Psychological and pedagogical effects of a digital speech therapy platform: impact on motivation, engagement, and attention span of children with speech impairments

Abstract

The digitalization of correctional and developmental interventions expands opportunities for the psychological and pedagogical support of children with speech disorders; however, the effects of digital speech therapy technologies on children’s motivation, engagement, and sustained attention remain insufficiently studied. The aim of this study was to assess changes in psychological and pedagogical indicators among children with speech disorders following the use of the LogopedAI digital speech therapy platform, developed for working with Kazakh speech. The study involved 48 children aged 3–8 years with various speech disorders. Over an eight-week period, the children completed speech therapy tasks on the LogopedAI platform under specialist supervision. Changes were assessed using expert ratings on a five-point Likert scale and digital behavioral indicators automatically recorded by the platform. Statistical analysis included comparisons of pre- and post-intervention scores using the paired-samples Student’s t-test and estimation of effect sizes using Cohen’s d. After eight weeks of platform use, statistically significant increases were observed in motivation, engagement, and sustained attention (p < 0.001). The mean duration of uninterrupted work increased from 12.4 to 21.7 minutes, representing a 75% increase, while the task completion rate reached 92.4%. The most pronounced changes were observed in activity during sessions, level of interaction, willingness to complete tasks, and ability to perform tasks without distraction. The scientific significance of the study lies in the comprehensive assessment of psychological and pedagogical indicators through the integration of expert ratings and objective digital behavioral markers. The findings indicate the potential of LogopedAI as a digital tool for the psychological and pedagogical support of children with speech disorders and highlight the need for further evaluation of its effectiveness in controlled studies.