*Fundraising by Kellee Fehst for: Neurodiversity Game Academy (Healing through Inspiration)*Hi everyone. My 16-year-old son, Catch Fehst, founded this initiative based on his experiences with debilitating symptoms from an illness called PANS syndrome. He is homeschooled and shares with other kids what worked for him in regards to coping skills. I am an extremely proud parent that he applied his knowledge towards being an inclusion advocate for other kids on the spectrum.Please join us in supporting our community of like-minded kids in nurturing their creative aspirations starting with an introduction to game development assisted by volunteer industry professionals. As a community, we encourage and learn from one another.Inclusion games are made available for group participation as well as open discussion.Donations from this fundraiser go towards ongoing game development expenses. Any contribution that you can make helps, including sharing this post.Thank you for your support as Neurodiversity Game Academy continues to enrich the lives of neurodiverse kids by exposing them to the therapeutic experience of game development.Kellee FehstMy name is Catch and I develop mobile games. I am a home-schooled 16-year-old and also an avid inclusion advocate for game development. My mom, Kellee Fehst, is supervising this campaign and will be the beneficiary on my behalf.Due to my PANS Syndrome, when I was younger my parents found it necessary to pull me out of school because I was academically left behind. My local school system’s method of instructing curriculum wasn’t conducive for neurodiverse students’ learning needs.My parents were given the wrong diagnosis for my disorder due to the lack of information at the time about PANDAS/PANS Syndrome, but in hindsight, that didn’t matter. They already knew that they needed to nurture my mind and prepare me for my future as an adult. Their approach was to help me discover my passion and provide all of the tools necessary for me to explore and learn everything I could about what I enjoyed and build a valuable skillset from there. This, of course, is what all parents want for their children. However, the journey to achieving this goal wasn’t the same for me as it is with most neurotypical children.I have founded a FaceBook support group called the Neurodiversity Game Academy for other literally like-minded kids to learn and participate in game development. We have many elite professionals as members that have generously pledged to share their knowledge with the group as well as inspire with projects that they are working on. I have also reached out to thousands of ASD parents as well as ASD advocate professionals to join.The support groups purpose is to help them find their creative voices and engage in game development discussions which may ultimately lead them down a career path. Many of us on the spectrum don’t find a direction until later on in life. With a little coaxing, we will give them the inspiration they need to develop a passion for game development.I have designed a game specifically for inclusion that both kids can participate in and parents can rally behind.Young adults with neurodiversity disorders need to find their passion and have their minds cultivated. I envision that the Neurodiversity Game Academy will evolve into the virtual classroom space. Graduates would then move on to internships via game developer incubators where they would collaborate on their projects. Ultimately, our publishing company would guide teams and promote games that show promise.“Miner Escape” is Neurodiversity Disorders deconstructed and reassembled in a relatable abstract game. The game is designed as an interactive inclusive project to help spectrum members of our Neurodiversity Game Academy."Find your inner light and let it be your beacon guiding you through the darkness."Miner Escape is a metaphor for gaming being an integral tool for kids with disabilities to have temporary relief from their afflictions and create bonds through camaraderie. Gaming has been a lifeline for many families dealing with a disability, including my own. Kids can design their avatars, characters, levels, platforms, backgrounds, etc., and we have an artist that will recreate their design concepts into finished art for the game, keeping it all cohesive.Here is the link to a sample of our pre-production work… Miner Escape The mission of the Neurodiversity Game Academy is to propagate and build upon the neurodiversity paradigm. Our bodies come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. But what about our brains? “Normal” is a fallacy perpetuated by the need to be similar. The movement for diversity is progressing for our outward appearances and behaviors. But what about our minds? Shouldn’t we also celebrate our differences in how our brains work as well? If every non-autistic took a little extra effort to learn about what makes us unique and how we can contribute, we essentially would become a valuable resource in the workforce. Our minds once honed become hyper-focused learning machines. Who wouldn’t want a laser beam in their arsenal?If you believe in my vision please join me in uniting our collective untapped potential and in doing so helping inspired minds take their first step on a path towards a career well-suited for neurodiversity.Donations from this campaign will go toward game development costs. Please share, comment, join and donate if possible. Everything helps and its all appreciated!