Nicole Vallery is, according to her mother, a chatterbox who comes home from school desperate to talk about her day. But for the 11-year-old girl, who has cerebral palsy, making herself understood can sometimes be impossible.

However, she and her family are now finally able to hold a natural conversation, using artificial intelligence technology that tracks Nicole’s day and translates it into a story for her to tell when she comes home.

How Was School Today?, a computer system equipped with sensors and recording devices, has been developed by scientists at Dundee and Aberdeen universities to allow disabled youngsters to communicate as naturally as possible.

Nicole’s mother, Jan, said that talking to her daughter had been very difficult. “Nicole is a chatterbox and she would try and tell us things but it was hard. We would say ‘how was school?’ but we would just be able to pick up bits and pieces.”

The nurse from Paisley said the new system, which she started using in January, was “great” for her daughter. “Nicole does everything on her own,” she said. “She is doing it for herself and is independent. She is sharp as a tack.” Speaking through her computer, Nicole, a pupil at Capability Scotland’s Corseford School in Renfrew, said the system “made me feel good about myself”.

The scientists say their invention is the first of its kind in the world. Their software works on a computer screen that is attached to a wheelchair. Such computers are already used by disabled youngsters to spell out words, but the system is laborious and time consuming and prohibits free-flowing conversation.

The Scottish researchers have added sensors and recording devices to the computer. When the child enters a room, the sensors record where they are. School staff have swipe cards and register that they have met the child. Teachers can record information about what the child has been doing in their class. Menus have barcodes that register what the pupil ate for lunch.

This raw data is then converted to English and saved on the computer as short, individual stories about the child’s day. For example, if the sensor detects that the pupil is in the art room at 1.30pm, the story might say: “After lunch I went to art.” Another might say: “I had macaroni for lunch.”

When the pupil gets home they can select a tale on the computer screen — in Nicole’s case using a head sensor on her wheelchair — to tell their family. They can also add comments such as “it was nice”.

The academics who developed How Was School Today? know personally the importance of communication among disabled children. Dr Analu Waller, of Dundee University, the principal investigator on the project, has cerebral palsy. A computer scientist by training, she specialises in rehabilitative engineering and focuses on how to use technology to enhance the quality of life for disabled people.

“I just happened to fall into this area of research but I do have an inkling of what it’s like when people don’t understand me and make assumptions about who I am, what my abilities are, etc,” she said. “Communication is what makes humans human and when we have difficulties communicating it creates a barrier between people.”

Ehud Reiter, a reader in computing science at Aberdeen University, hopes the technology will be developed for use in youngsters with autism — a condition that his 11-year-old son, Moshe, has. “I can’t talk to him,” he said. “He can say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or ‘I want a biscuit’ but you can’t have a conversation.

“As a parent \ would be wonderful. I could chat to my child. Even for him to say something like ‘school was fun’ — that would be a wonderful experience.”

Times Recommends

• Dan Snow on his ideal dinner party
• Why women are such bad networkers
• Six of the best value Chilean wines