Our approach is different and it looks nothing like school
Our Approach
With fun, engaging, caring, patient and experienced mentors we support neurodivergent young people with 1:1 virtual training & support. We do this consistently, every week, with the same mentor. We work together using the same real-time 3D game development engines and movie making engines used by professionals to create immersive experiences across industries. Our young adult mentors are proud to be a diverse collective of passionate technical artists, 3D sculptors, painters, coders, gamers, innovators, and therapists.
All the work we do with young people is child led based on their interests. We promote an approach that is non-hierarchical, low arousal, low demand, and non-competitive. We allow time for breaks, and communicate with a soft and patient tone using simple short instructions. This is supported by a highly visual learning environment. For young people that may feel anxious to participate, we are happy to operate with device cameras off and in some cases work with young people using messaging only.
Whilst we teach digital design and technical skills, our coaching method is based on the principles of positive psychology, coupled with a new way of viewing autistic traits in a positive light. Persistence of thought, attention to detail, and hyper-focus can all be strengths of the autistic mind. This in turn, increases the young person’s motivation to continue to learn with belief in their design and technical abilities.
The Engines We Use
The design and development engines we work with power 80% of the world's video games and recently many movies! We help our young people publish their games on multiple platforms, such as desktop, mobile, and console devices in 2D, 3D also using Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.
Working with our chosen game development engines provides a fun and engaging way to introduce young people to various concepts. These engines user-friendly interfaces and comprehensive documentation make it accessible for young people with no prior design or programming experience, allowing them to learn at their own pace with support, and develop their creativity and problem-solving skills. Moreover, they can share their creations with others, allowing them to collaborate, receive feedback, and improve their skills.
Through using multiple engines over time, a young person’s skills are not blinded to only one platform such as Roblox or Minecraft. With our engines, games can be created once and developers can distribute their creations across over 25 compatible platforms to reach the largest possible audience.
We strongly suggest using a decent laptop or PC - something that is going to have enough power and memory to run sophisticated software. We are always happy to advise on this and there's also lots of useful advice on our blog.
Our mentors won't ever ask you to download any paid-for software. It's all free.
For those where an appropriate PC is not immediately available, we can connect you to a remote PC that enables you to access much higher performance remotely. These are not usually cost-efficient for long-term use, but can plug the gap if needed. Speak to us, and we can happily chat about costs.
Our remote PCs have the specifications detailed below.
Machines & Laptops
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AMD EPYC™ 7543P, 4GHz 8 vCores
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28 GB
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NVIDIA® RTX™ A4500
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1 TB

