Speaker
Speaker Info
- Name
- William Mooney
- Organization
- Outside the Box Studios
- Country
- United States
- Biography
- Bill Mooney, JD, Co-Founder- Bill is a former litigator who has worked in games and technology since 2000. He was a Studio Vice-President at Zynga, CPO at ROBLOX, Studio VP at Electronic Arts and CPO at Skillz and has made games such as FarmVille, Zynga Poker and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. Bill is neurodiverse and his experience with incorporating social into games and familiarity with the Roblox platform were critical pieces in initial conversations with Michelle and the team in forming the RSB approach.
Photo
- Photo
Presentation Info
- Title
- Empathy and Empowerment in Digital Play
- Summary
- Empathy and Empowerment in Digital Play outlines a therapeutic framework that uses high-interest digital play—especially social games—as a medium for supporting neurodiverse youth. Originating from Dr. Michelle Horton’s decades of neuropsychological work, the approach rejects deficit-focused models and builds on children’s natural strengths, interests, and creativity. Pairing therapists, game designers, and neurodiverse kids themselves enables collaborative, child-centered assessment and treatment. The program is grounded in four values: empowerment through demonstrating hidden strengths; connection and self-expression via avatar-based play; collaborative refinement based on live feedback; and a dynamic, neuro-affirming, strength-based approach. Five game-design principles support this work, interdisciplinary collaboration, therapist-led facilitation, meeting kids where they already thrive, enhanced behavioral-observation tools, and rapid iteration. ROBLOX Squad Builders exemplifies this model. The experience blends therapist-guided scenarios, cooperative mini-games, and creative world-building to promote communication, problem-solving, emotional insight, executive functioning, and social-emotional learning. Avatars reduce social barriers, allowing kids to explore feelings and choices more openly than in traditional groups. Real-time feedback from players continuously improves each scenario and activity. Beyond ROBLOX, the team is developing scaffolded game-development programs to address executive-function challenges that often impede neurodiverse teens and young adults. By working within a medium participants already love, the program aims to build durable skills for academic, creative, and workplace success. Overall, the interdisciplinary model demonstrates strong early promise: interactive digital play—when guided by therapeutic expertise—can unlock self-understanding, skill-building, and meaningful connection for neurodiverse youth.
- Keynote
- Presentation
- GFHEU Year
- 2026
Info
- Info