A trail blazing local company, which has designed and operates a software programme to help children with learning difficulties, is embarking on research aimed at helping people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, depression, schizophrenia and strokes.
Griffin Tuition, which is based at NUI Galway, hopes to work closely with the university in this regard.
“These new software programmes, as in the case of Alzheimer’s, have been validated to offset the onset and progress of the disease,” explains the managing director of the company, James Lee, who holds a BSc in physiology and a master’s degree in biomedical engineering. “They are not a cure, albeit, staving off the progress of a disease can give a sufferer back to their families, for a few more years, at a cost saving of €50,000 for a nursing home per year.”
His company, which was set up in 2005 and was previously based in Oranmore, has helped more than 300 people through its corrective education programme FastForWord. An interactive and adaptive computer programme for children and adults wishing to address specific reading and learning difficulties such as dyslexia, Asberger’s syndrome, mild to moderate autism, etc, it is also aimed at people with general learning difficulties such as poor memories, lack of concentration, poor processing and sequencing abilities.
“We have approached corrective education from both a traditional and a computer driven approach and found that children with learning difficulties prefer the computer to traditional methods,” says Mr Lee, who is originally from Newcastle. “FastForWord is a user friendly programme that strengthens existing neural pathways and creates new ones in the brain by interacting with computer software programmes. Their interaction is for 48 minutes a day for approximately 16 weeks at the centre here in NUIG or in the comfort of their own home. At the end of the programme the participant will have been brought up level with their peers. An added advantage and benefit of FastForWord is that the corrective results last. Participants have ranged from six to 65 years.”
Griffin Tuition, which is located at the university’s science and engineering technology building, is organising three “Body and Brain” one stop seminars for parents, guardians and educators at the Clybaun Hotel, Knocknacarra, on Wednesday July 7, the Oranmore Lodge on Thursday 8, and the Claregalway Hotel on Thursday July 15. All are at 8pm.
The “Mind Matters”seminars will feature a multi-disciplinary team comprising life coach, David Keane, doctor and herbalist Dr Dílis Claire, body gym professional Padraig King, educator Maeve Lee and James Lee of Griffin Tuition. Admission is €5.
To book a place at the seminar or learn more about the FastForWord programme log onto www.fastforword.ie or telephone James Lee at (091 ) 589771.
