The idea behind MEEVA was born during the recent pandemic-related lock-down periods. In those moments the access to psychological support services was almost impossible for neurodiverse youngsters and their families; our challenge was therefore to find an innovative solution able to ensure service continuity from remote. We were fascinated by two emerging trends: the opportunity virtual reality was giving to individuals to interact in a realistic but controllable immersive environment regardless of their physical location as well as the scientific evidence about the beneficial impact multiplayer digital games proved to have in engaging neurodiverse individuals in collaboration activities. This led us to the idea of an immersive multiplayer game to foster their social skills and executive functions in a playful and engaging setting and regardless their location.

An EIT Digital supported project (XR4A) gave us the chance to develop our solution and to validate it in collaboration with a number of Providers of psychological support services with encouraging results. This activity finally led us to launch our company MEEVA (as a spin-off of Fondazione Bruno Kessler) which is now in charge of evolving the solution while exploring its market potential. In fact, despite lock-down restrictions are luckily behind us, the need for tools facilitating access to those support services remains still unfulfilled for many due to the low density of Providers and a generalised lack of professionals.