NeuroPathways: Impact Case Study
Above image: A NeuroPathways online holiday session. Shared with permission. Source: NeuroPathwaysMeeting Children on Their Own Terms
NeuroPathways is a specialist neurodiversity service offering wraparound assessment, diagnosis, and support for autistic children, young people, and adults with ADHD and other learning needs. Operating from purpose-built centres in Swansea and Glasgow, and online, their multidisciplinary team delivers diagnostic evaluations alongside practical post-diagnostic support including coaching, therapy, and family sessions. For NeuroPathways, diagnosis is the beginning, not the end - the goal is to ensure every person has the guidance and tools they need to thrive.
In January and February 2026, Lee, a practitioner at NeuroPathways, completed both Level 1 and Level 2 of the Using Minecraft as a Therapeutic Tool training programme.
Why Minecraft
The team had been thinking about how to offer accessible, engaging support during school holiday periods. For many of the children NeuroPathways works with, traditional talking-based approaches can feel overwhelming. They were looking for something that offered a low-demand, high-engagement environment where children could communicate and reflect in ways that felt natural. Minecraft - a platform already familiar to a huge number of children and young people - offered exactly that.
A Half-Term Pilot
With a small grant from Swansea Local Authority, NeuroPathways ran a pilot programme during February half term. Daily online sessions were delivered via Microsoft Teams by Lee, with children grouped into small cohorts based on age and developmental need. Parents were invited to join where that felt helpful.
Within each session, Minecraft provided the backdrop for guided activities focused on emotional literacy, connection, and creative expression - giving children a creative, safe space to connect and grow during the school holiday period.
The pilot also brought some useful practical learning. Supporting families to get set up ahead of sessions - answering questions beforehand and helping them log into video calls - took more time than anticipated, and the team would build in more time for this going forward.
What Families Said
The feedback from parents captured something that is difficult to manufacture in a more traditional setting - genuine enjoyment, and a sense of belonging.
One parent shared: "Because of his lack of understanding, I don't let him join online groups so he was excited to be able to join and play with people who are not his cousin."
Another said: "It was a breath of fresh air to hear him laughing the entire time. Usually his interactions are up and down while he's online. One minute he's happy and the next he is crying. He loved Lee!"
A third parent was clear about what she wanted next: "I wish these were available every week."
Impact on the Team
The pilot strengthened the team's confidence in creative, child-led approaches to therapy. Facilitating sessions through Minecraft required practitioners to read social dynamics and respond in real time - skills that transfer directly into wider clinical practice. Seeing children for whom traditional services are hard to access or engage with genuinely engage and open up reinforced the team's belief that effective therapy does not have to look clinical, and energised their practice as a result.
Emma Davies, Director of NeuroPathways, reflected on what the pilot demonstrated:
"This pilot has shown us what's possible when you meet children on their own terms. Watching young people who struggle in traditional settings thrive — collaborating, communicating and building confidence, through something as simple as a game has been genuinely exciting for our whole team. It's exactly the kind of innovative, evidence-informed practice we want NeuroPathways to be known for."
