Amrita Alumnus Sahana Rangasrinivasan Develops AI Tools to Aid Children with Speech and Language Disorders

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham proudly celebrates the achievements of our alumni, Ms. Sahana Rangasrinivasan, a dual PhD scholar at Amrita and the University at Buffalo, whose pioneering work is helping children with speech and language-processing difficulties.

Sahana, a torchbearer of Amrita’s ethos of compassion-driven research, is part of the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education (AI4ExceptionalEd) at the University at Buffalo. The institute focuses on developing AI-powered solutions that reduce administrative burdens for speech and language therapists, allowing them to dedicate more time to supporting children in need.

Earlier this year, she made headlines during the inauguration of the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education, speaking alongside US National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan, US Senator Chuck Schumer, UB President Satish K. Tripathi, and Vice President Venu Govindaraju.

At AI4ExceptionalEd, Sahana collaborates with educators, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists to ensure AI models are practical for classroom use. Her work focuses on detecting learning challenges such as dyslexia and dysgraphia. By analyzing handwriting samples, AI tools can identify spelling errors, letter reversals, spacing issues, and other indicators of cognitive or learning difficulties.

Collaborating with Dr. Abbie Olszewski, Associate Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, Sahana’s team collected writing samples from kindergarten to 5th-grade students to train AI models, helping to build a human-centered solution that can make a tangible difference in children’s learning experiences.

“Our goal is to use artificial intelligence as a public good, addressing real-world challenges while improving human well-being,” Sahana said.

The AI tools developed by Sahana and her team are capable of:

• Assessing visual aspects of handwriting, including letter formation and spacing.
• Converting handwriting into text, detecting spelling mistakes, and letter reversals.
• Identifying deeper cognitive and linguistic challenges through analysis of grammar and vocabulary.

Sahana’s work is already gaining international recognition and stands as a testament to the spirit of innovation and social responsibility fostered at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.