Prism - Evoking empathy for autism

Project Info

Introduction

Prism is a technological solution to an important problem society faces today—helping neurotypical people to empathize with those on the autism spectrum. Working initially with 3rd and 4th graders at the Beech Bottom Primary School in in Brooke County, West Virginia, the team behind Prism is creating the tools to help a generation of children grow up with increased awareness and understanding for their autistic peers. If successful, the technology that powers Prism can be expanded to reach additional age groups, parents of autistic children, educators, and beyond.

Notable Contributions

Programming:

1. Implemented an interactive branching dialogue system
2. Implemented a framework to drive easy creation of open-world narrative scenarios
3. Implemented a contextualized hint system to help players (which are grade 3-4 primary school students!) progress through the game
4. Implemented a framework to allow easy localization of the game

Design:

1. Designed, modeled, and populated the game’s map to support different interaction scenarios
2. Iterated on the map through playtesting to make it easier for players to navigate

Awards & Recognitions:

1. Games for Change Festival 2019 - Best Student Game (Hey it appeared on Gamasutra too!)
2. Gold Medal Winner - 2018 International Serious Play Awards
3. Finalist - Serious Games Showcase & Challenge at Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference 2018
4. Published under Joint International Conference on Serious Games as Prism, a Game to Promote Autism Acceptance Among Elementary School Students
5. Our producer, Dan, gave a talk at 4th Integrative Conference on Technology, Social Media and Behavioral Health