Please enjoy this post from AFV's past with a relevant message. To be better #autism advocates, let’s 1st remember to be our best selves. This is good to remember as we veer into the holidays. https://autismatfacevalue.org/2017/01/24/autism-self-advocacy-best-advocacy/?page_id=1160
Category: Autism Spectrum Disorders
Building Fellowship Through Fantasy: Tabletop Role-Playing Supports Mental Health
By Dave Kot, MS When people gather to share stories, something powerful happens. Psychologist Irvin Yalom, a leader in group therapy, believed that human connection grows strongest in groups that share experiences, challenges, and hope. Members learn new social skills not by lecture, but by living them in a shared space. That same principle works …
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Therapeutically Applied Aesop’s Fable
How the Scorpion and the Frog Archetypes impact PCs- By Dave Kot, MS November 2025 launches our first Therapeutically Applied Role-Playing (TARP) gaming groups atRage Room in York, Pennsylvania. Autism at Face Value, a nonprofit promoting acceptance throughplay, will offer public games and educational forums at little or no cost. Purposeful tabletopstorytelling, using games like …
Not Your Average NPC…
By: Dave Kot, MS Roleplaying games provide a uniquely fertile environment for emotional growth and therapeutic skill development. These games invite participants to engage actively with complex, human-centered narratives that extend far beyond traditional notions of combat and conquest. When Game Masters (GMs) design non-player characters (NPCs) who embody genuine mental health challenges, they elevate …
November News
AFV has lots in store for the upcoming month. Our calendar is updated; all we need is you! Look what GM Dave has planned! Secure your tickets here:https://buff.ly/OucjTPH AFV Games starting next week! All games take place at The Rage Room- York 2300 Industrial HWY, York, PA Neurodivergent Teens (13-17) Thurs Nov 6 (6PM-8PM) Neurodivergent …
TARP Adventure Design Lv1
TARP Gaming Group Adventure Design - Part 1 Game Masters often ask the same question: Where do I start when building an adventure?Therapeutically Applied Role-Playing (TARP) adventure design begins with the same spirit as any homebrew session, and adds a layer of intention. You craft more than a fun story; you shape a shared experience that …
Strategies for Neurodivergent Well-Being: Tabletop Roleplaying Builds Neuroplasticity
Life doesn’t play fair, but it can be played fairly. We pivot with new information, scrap old plans to start fresh, or face hard lessons that force change. For neurodivergent individuals, adaptability becomes a survival skill. In tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons or Shadowdark, dice referees train creativity and flexibility in a …
Launching the Viking Saga
Can we all just get along?” — Rodney King, 1992 At a crowded game table, dice tumble across a map of snow-covered forests. Strangers laugh, plan, and argue, yet listen attentively. What begins as a fantasy skirmish quietly becomes practice for real-world empathy. The same questions arise inside and outside the game: how can people …
Today’s the Day!
Join the fun on Twitch! Play, chat and hang out online for a great cause. Giveaways all weekend! https://facebook.com/events/s/16-bit-summer-gaming-for-chari/1141821900925591/
Friends Made Through the Power of Stories
Daily writing promptWho would you like to talk to soon?View all responses We're always hoping to connect with more local friends who believe in the power of imagination and storytelling. Whether you read comic panels, play out games at the table, or carry your own dreams quietly in your heart we want to discuss how …
Autism at Face Value 