An innovative approach to creating an educational program aimed at bettering the quality of life of children with autism in Turkey.

The Challenge

The Tohum Autism Foundation (TAF) is a Turkey based non-profit organization focused on creating specialized educational opportunities for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in order to integrate them into the community.

Looking to disrupt the limitations that accompany traveling across the country, and hoping to create a program that is meaningful and accessible, TAF partnered with creative agency 4129 Grey. Together they looked for a way to create a tool that could deliver specialist education to autistic children.

The Approach

Realizing that access to the internet and a computer is found across most households, TAF and 4129 Grey decided to leverage these tools to create a platform for special education – carving a path away from the limitations that come naturally with location to create an educational program that is remotely accessible. 

Popular computer video game, Minecraft, provides a virtual world rid of social cues. In everyday life, children with autism can find social cues overwhelming, so an environment that lacks these can be easier to interpret and understand. Understanding this,TAF and 4129 Grey replicated their educational program by creating a Minecraft map, providing programs on coding, social interaction and math with building blocks through online in-game interaction. 

The Impact

The campaign reached over 70 children with autism from different locations across Turkey who had not been able to access educational programs due to transportation barriers. The Autism School on Minecraft became a trending topic on Twitter and reached 30 million people worldwide, but more importantly, it was a demonstration of innovation and creativity to find a solution to a very important problem. 

SDGs CHAMPIONED