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BOOP, a SEN learning platform secures Government COVID-19 response funding

by Startacus Admin

BOOP, an innovative software education platform for children with special education needs (SEN) secures a slice of £20m Government funding to support communities through the COVID-19 pandemic.

BOOP, which is owned by Limejar, aims to improve learning outcomes for children who have additional educational needs. It aims to encourage collaboration and teamwork among the key people involved in the care and development of students.

A customisable interface means BOOP nurtures the individuality of each child so they can grow at their own pace and in confidence of their own capabilities and strengths. Debbie was driven by her own experience as a parent to improve outcomes for SEND students in mainstream schools after her own son was diagnosed with ASD.

BOOP

UK registered businesses were able to apply for up to £50,000 from a £20 million response fund for the urgent needs in UK and global communities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Distributed by Innovate UK, BOOP beat off competition from 8600 entrants to secure a grant of £50,000 – the maximum amount available – to bring the product to market as soon as possible to help SEN families to navigate remote learning during the pandemic and its aftermath.

BOOP brings together the key people involved in a child’s care and development, so their parents, teachers and therapists can work together as a team and enable that child to reach their full potential,” explains Debbie Craig, owner of Limejar and creator of BOOP.

BOOP

“After my son was diagnosed with autism, I’ve been looking at ways to remove the barriers to learning that children with additional educational needs experience. I’m using my skills as software developer to create a solution that will enable SEN children to continue to learn during this pandemic and to close the learning gap between mainstream learning and additional needs.

UK registered businesses were able to apply for up to £50,000 from a £20 million response fund for the urgent needs in UK and global communities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Distributed by Innovate UK, the aim of the funding is to support UK businesses to focus on emerging or increasing needs of society and industries during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, while making the UK more resilient to similar disruption.

“As a result of the pandemic, SEN children and their families have experienced unprecedented challenges. Autistic children especially struggle to cope with changes to their routine and this has led to increased levels of anxiety during lockdown.

Families have been left in limbo. Teachers require better resources to support their students remotely – ones that are better suited to the specific needs of these individuals. Other key people such as therapists and health workers are also distanced and therefore can’t actively support families when they’re most needed. We’ve had first hand experience of this,” explained Debbie Craig.

Almost in parallel, BOOP has been shortlisted for an INVENT 2020 award, an annual competition in Northern Ireland to find the most innovative ideas that have the greatest commercial potential.

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Published on: 30th June 2020

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