The play2PREVENT (p2P) Lab at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth has received a $755,000 grant from Proof Positive, a nonprofit organization focused on promoting the well-being of the autism community. The grant will fund a two-year initiative to create and evaluate digital health games that help autistic youth build emotional resilience, social confidence, and positive coping strategies.
The collaboration was sparked through Dartmouth’s Innovation in Medicine & Healthcare Series, a forum that convenes leaders across medicine, technology, and academia in cities around the country to explore innovative solutions in healthcare.
“The moment we started talking, there was clearly a strong alignment,” said Lynn Fiellin, MD, founder and director of the p2P Lab and professor of biomedical data science at Geisel. According to Fiellin, these initial conversations quickly evolved into a deeper collaboration, with both organizations seeing an opportunity to fill a critical gap in the mental health landscape.
“We’re both grounded in science and focused on empowering young people through positive psychology,” Fiellin added. “Proof Positive brings a robust curriculum around gratitude, stress management, and optimism. And we saw a real opportunity to embed those elements into gameplay built with youth, for youth.”
Founded in 2009, the p2P Lab has spent more than 15 years developing and testing video games aimed at reducing health risk behaviors among adolescents. Games have addressed topics like HIV prevention, substance misuse, and mental health, often blending narratives and challenges to engage young people in learning through play.
In late 2023, Fiellin transitioned the lab from the Yale School of Medicine to Dartmouth, where it is now affiliated with the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health (CTBH) and the Geisel School of Medicine. The move marked the continuation of a longstanding collaboration with CTBH and opened new doors within Dartmouth’s interdisciplinary research community.
Now, with Proof Positive’s grant, p2P can cover new terrain—all while funding research staff, curriculum development, community engagement, and a full evaluation of the game’s feasibility and impact. The research will begin with focus groups and co-design sessions before moving into game production and outcome measurement.
“We’ve shown through rigorous research that games teaching mental health skills—like reframing negative thoughts or managing stress—can have measurable impact,” Fiellin said. “With this new initiative, we’ll be tailoring those tools to meet the needs and strengths of neurodivergent youth, starting with their voices at the center.”
To design these tools, Fiellin’s team and Proof Positive will collaborate with autistic youth, families, and educators to develop interactive, game-based content that is both relevant and respectful to the intended audience. The games will range from short, interactive exercises to longer narrative experiences, incorporating practices from positive psychology, such as daily gratitude reflection or emotion regulation strategies, into immersive, play-based environments.
Proof Positive was founded in 2022 by Christina Kirby and Josh Kulkin, parents of Dylan, their autistic son, whose well-being improved dramatically after receiving support that combined traditional autism intervention with principles from positive psychology. Motivated by their experience, the couple launched Proof Positive to make these kinds of tools accessible to a broader community.
“Our mission is to spread the science and skills of happiness,” said Katie Curran, MAPP, the chief wellbeing officer of Proof Positive. “Proof Positive, believes that everyone—autistic individuals included—deserves the skills and support to flourish. This partnership allows us to meet youth where they are, using play as a powerful way to teach and practice the habits that strengthen mental health and wellbeing.”
The collaboration will also fuse two domains that seldom overlap. “There’s a lot of research on autism intervention, and a lot on positive psychology, but there’s not much at the intersection,” Curran explained. “That's where we see the opportunity. That’s one of the reasons we’re invested and excited about this research.” Curran emphasized the importance of viewing the project through a scientific lens. “We’re not saying these games will improve well-being. We’re studying whether they can. This collaboration gives us the structure to ask the right questions and follow the data wherever it leads.”
While the game will not replace existing therapies, the team sees potential for it to complement clinical and educational interventions. “Nothing we do is a replacement,” Curran emphasized. “It’s definitely additive. If the games show a meaningful change for the individuals participating, they could fit into that therapeutic process.”
Fiellin agrees. “We know that autistic youth often enjoy screen time, like most kids. So the question is: Can we use that time in a way that supports their mental health and development? If the answer is yes, that’s a powerful outcome.”
The initiative also marks a new chapter for both organizations. For Proof Positive, it’s a direct investment in original research and game development. For the p2P Lab, it’s an opportunity to apply its model to the autism community, a population it hasn’t previously focused on, expanding the reach of its work.
“This is an important next step for our lab,” said Fiellin. “We’ve refined the process over many years, partnering with youth, iterating on design, and building from real scientific outcomes. Now we’re applying that same process in a new context, with a new community. It’s a meaningful expansion of our work.”
Both leaders hope the project will lay the groundwork for broader systemic change. “In five or ten years, I’d like to see these tools as part of everyday life,” Fiellin said. “Not as a novelty, but as a normal, positive resource that families, schools, and communities rely on. Because all kids benefit from play.”
To learn more about Dr. Fiellin’s work and the play2PREVENT Lab’s pioneering use of video games in behavioral health, visit play2prevent.org.
To learn more about how Proof Positive is improving the lives of autistic people and their families, providers, and communities, visit https://proofpositive.org/.
