When Gudrún Eiríksdóttir, a student of computer science couldn’t find the learning tools on the market to help her twins with hearing disabilities learn to speak, she decided to whip one up herself.
The twin’s mother told Fréttabladid: “I was studying computer science. During one of the courses I got the idea to create a computer game that could help the children learn words and symbols.”
Eiríksdóttir’s idea gathered a lot of support at the University of Iceland. Her teacher turned it into a BS project and her classmate Sunna Björg Sigurjónsdóttir helped turn her ideas into a computer came called Tumi.
When Eiríksdóttir and Sigurjónsdóttir graduated, their ideas caught the interest of several professionals in the computer field who took the project to a whole new level. Thanks to all the assistance, Tumi is now for sale.
“The game is not just for children who have problems with learning how to speak. Most children like using symbols while speaking and the game’s purpose is also to improve pronunciation and increase vocabulary, which is fit for all children,” Eiríksdóttir explained.
Although the game is suitable for children of all abilities, there is a special satisfaction in the project for Eiríksdóttir. “I especially like the fact that parents who have children with speech impediments can now find appropriate learning material,” she said.