Neurodiversity Celebration Week: How We Make Coding Accessible!

It’s Neurodiversity Celebration Week and here at The Code Zone we want to shine a light on why we think combining gaming and coding can be hugely beneficial for neurodivergent children.

According to research conducted by UKIE, the gaming industry in the UK has a higher percentage (18%) of neurodiverse people working within it than the general working-age population. This tells us that a career in game development is a popular choice for neurodiverse individuals which means that learning to code can be incredibly beneficial for young people who want to get into the industry. This also means that it’s incredibly important to make sure that coding education is accessible to every child - so let’s take a look at how we aim to do this at The Code Zone!

We know that every child is different, which is why we champion a child-led approach. Members of our clubs are encouraged to personalise our weekly featured games based on their own interests, and we also provide a range of different coding ideas (known as Guided Hacks) that members can choose to add into their games. Our brilliant STEM-Certified mentors are there to provide support and may encourage or suggest ideas, but it is ultimately up to our members to choose what they want to work on.

 If you sign up for Game Dev Club, you’ll join a live online club with up to 5 other children with the same mentor every week. Socialising online can be a great tool for neurodiverse children; according to Internet Matters, neurodivergent children may find it easier to build relationships and find community online rather than in real life which is why it’s so important to create engaging and safe online spaces for children. At The Code Zone, all interactions are moderated by our mentors to make sure that the experience in our clubs is as safe as it is fun. 

We know that flexibility is crucial, that’s why we encourage our members to engage with The Code Zone in the way that is most comfortable for them. As part of our taster sessions our mentors show new members how to turn their cameras on and off, how to use a text chat to ask questions, and how to turn down the volume of other members in the call.

What if you want to learn how to code, but you don’t like the idea of joining a video call? In that case you could sign up for Game Dev Academy! Members of the Academy are given all of the top tier support that our live club members receive, but instead of joining a call their mentor sends regular video messages throughout the week. This means that you can work on the featured game at your own pace rather than joining a regularly scheduled club. If you need a helping hand, you can message your mentor and they’ll send you personalised video messages to help you out!

At The Code Zone, we’re committed to making sure that our clubs are fun, safe, and accessible; if you’re ready to start your coding journey you can try out a FREE taster session to find out if our clubs are right for you!

We’ll see you there!