Health Tech of the Week: The Linghos, or the Use of Gaming and AI in Pediatric Speech Therapy

In the latest publication from the „Health Tech of the Week” series, we present the company The Linghos (also known as Pogaduszki in Poland). I discussed what sets this company apart with the founders: Mariusz Pitura and Jakub Śledź.

Where did the idea for creating The Linghos come from? 

Mariusz Pitura: The story of The Linghos began with our own experiences as parents. Encountering speech therapy problems with our children opened our eyes to the lack of effective and accessible therapeutic tools. That was the moment when we determined that we could and should create something that would change these standards. We looked for such solutions in the App Store – and found none. Therefore, we decided to create the tool ourselves.  

Jakub Śledź: Exactly, a shared frustration and desire for our children to have a better future united us. We wanted to use our creative-technological competencies to create a solution that would be not only effective but also enjoyable for children.

What main problems do you intend to solve with your application?

JŚ: Above all, we want to address the problem of accessibility and engagement in traditional speech therapy. Thanks to The Linghos, therapy becomes more interactive, engaging, and most importantly, accessible from anywhere at any time. Adding to this our personalization system, we can ensure that each child receives therapy tailored to their individual needs and progress, significantly increasing the effectiveness of therapy.

MP: The uniqueness of The Linghos lies in combining proven knowledge and speech therapy practice with the latest AI technologies and gamification. This combination allows for the creation of a personalized therapeutic path that is both effective and attractive for every child.  

JŚ: Importantly, our approach allows for continuous monitoring of progress and adjusting therapy in real-time. This dynamic approach to speech therapy is what really sets us apart. From interviews, we know that parents really need such a tool.

What technologies do you use to analyze and correct speech defects in children?

JŚ: The core of our system is based on advanced artificial intelligence algorithms capable of analyzing a child’s speech, identifying specific problems, and suggesting the most appropriate exercises.  

MP: All this is designed to ensure that therapy is as effective as possible while maintaining lightness and fun, which is key to keeping children engaged.

How does the application personalize therapy?

MP: Each adventure with The Linghos begins with a detailed assessment that allows us to understand the unique needs of each child. We know what speech defects the child has and how they should be treated. Based on this, the application creates a personalized therapy plan.  

JŚ: Thanks to continuous monitoring of progress, we are able to adjust the therapy on an ongoing basis, meaning that the therapeutic plan evolves along with the child’s progress.

Who is the target user of the application, and how do you plan to reach this group?  

JŚ: Our target users are children with speech defects and their parents who are looking for effective and modern therapy tools. We plan to reach them through social media campaigns, cooperation with educational institutions and specialists in the field of speech therapy, as well as by building awareness of our brand at conferences and industry events.  

MP: A key element of our strategy is creating valuable educational and guide content that not only highlights the need for early intervention in speech defects but also shows how our application can help in this. Social media is an ideal tool here.

What are the first reactions and feedback from users/testers of the application?

JŚ: The reactions are really encouraging. Users appreciate, above all, the intuitiveness of our application, its engaging nature, and the visible effects after a short time of use. This confirms that we are on the right track.  

MP: We also receive valuable feedback that helps us further improve The Linghos. Our user community actively participates in the process of creating a better product, which is extremely valuable to us. We often talk to users and ask them what else they feel is missing in our platform. Many of these solutions are tested and implemented.

JŚ: Absolutely. We are already working on additional features that will further diversify therapy. We are also considering adapting the application to other languages to help children around the world.  

MP: Our ambitions go far beyond the current scope. We want The Linghos to become a global tool supporting speech development in children, regardless of their place of residence or the language they speak.

What are your development plans for the coming years?

JŚ: We have a vision where The Linghos is not only an application for correcting speech defects but a comprehensive platform supporting the development of the child. We want to expand our offerwith educational modules focusing on emotions, social skills, and other important aspects of development.  

MP: Of course, we do not forget about continuously improving our technology and therapeutic methods. We want each update of The Linghos to bring something new, something that will further increase the effectiveness of therapy and children’s engagement. Our goal is for The Linghos to become synonymous with innovative, effective, and child-friendly speech therapy worldwide in the coming years.

The Linghos has already gained the trust of three investment funds, and talks are underway with others. They are also recognized at many competitions related to innovations. However, my interviewees consider the increasing number of customers who make the application available to their children and recommend it to other parents to be their greatest success. Children struggling with speech problems can now go through the diagnostic process on the polish website www.pogaduszki.pl 

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I invite you to continue following the „Health Tech of the Week” series, where we will discover more fascinating stories from the world of medical technology that are changing the face of healthcare.

If you are leading an innovative project in the field of new technologies and medicine or want to recommend an interesting solution, contact us at: [email protected].