Gudrún Eiríksdóttir, a mother of twins with hearing disabilities, recently designed a computer game to help her boys learn how to speak because she couldn’t find any appropriate learning material.
“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 told Fréttabladid.
Eiríksdóttir’s teacher liked her idea so she used it for her BS project. Her classmate Sunna Björg Sigurjónsdóttir took part in the project and helped Eiríksdóttir design the computer game, which is called Tumi.
After Eiríksdóttir’s and Sigurjónsdóttir’s graduation from the University of Iceland, the project generated interest from professional computer scientists who helped Eiríksdóttir develop the game further, which 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.
“I especially like the fact that parents who have children with speech impediments can now find appropriate learning material,” the mother and computer scientist concluded.
