Howdy – My name is Sam, often changed to Swardy when there’s too many Sams.
I studied Computer Games Production at university, where I was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. I struggled with my studies but after leaving education, managed to get an industry job with Rockstar Games.

Prior to joining MindJam I had spent more than a decade working in games and have had the privilege of contributing to exciting franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption and Fallout, as well as beloved IP’s like LEGO, Disney and Hasbro.
I have two neurodivergent children myself who are both avid gamers so I am familiar with popular YouTubers and updates within the gaming community, providing me the opportunity to connect with children and young people using our service.

As a parent supporting with education at home and the SEN system, I can empathise with parents and guardians who have similarly struggled to work within the system. And as an ND person myself, I understand the difficulty of engaging with mainstream education.

I personally am a big fan of narrative-driven games – but I’m a sucker for anything couch co-op like the Borderlands series. I’ve also spent a dangerous amount of time playing Fortnite, Minecraft and Portal Knights with the kids and love a silly party game like Gang Beasts or R.E.P.O.

I am fully DBS checked, have safeguarding training, and knowledge and experience of Autism, ADHD, PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, trauma, and mental health.