Working on an app to support ASD

[JoSchi]

Hello there,

my name's Joel and I got diagnosed with Asperger, 3y ago. Here in Luxembourg, support is free and super nice, but they're missing people to fulfill all the needs to help and support people with ASD. I then checked if there are good, supporting apps on the market and found none. For this reason I decided to start checking the needs for a supportive app, as my partner is working in exactly this business (investing in deep technology startups with her company), and we want to develop an app.
If you want, you can just answer with your needs or what you want from an app. Can be everything, maybe support from therapists, something for your children to ease their everyday life, etc.

Kind regards,

Joel

 

[Shamar]

I can't speak for those in Luxembourg, but in the US, what we need cannot be supplied by an app. Unless you are obviously disabled, there is no support. High level autism (ASD1) is totally ignored, as if it didn't exist, yet we have difficulties and need support as much as the less functional. I never got support from therapists before I was diagnosed, but afterward the total support amounted to absolutely nothing (to be fair, a few public services made noise about support, but nothing came of it). If I need directions, there are numerous apps. If I need to know about sales, there are numerous app. If I need to compare items I might buy, there are numerous apps. If I need some way to deal with the pain of loneliness and rejection, there is no app. At best, there could be an app that might help me find a therapist who knows about autism and how to deal with it (although most who claim expertise don't have a clue, maybe your app can reject them as a source of help).

 

[Tom]

Sounds good. But what's an App?

Do we get donuts if by chance we have any Apps? After all I might have some but just not know it. I might even be practically swimming in Apps. But I need some hints.

 

[Judge]

Sounds good. But what's an App?

Do we get donuts if by chance we have any Apps? After all I might have some but just not know it. I might even be practically swimming in Apps. But I need some hints.

Agreed. We need a much more concise explanation of what an "app" might do that direct interactions with other humans cannot achieve. A big reason for this forum. For autistic people to interact with other autistic people.

I see "apps" as tools to solve problems arising from things- not people so much. I just don't see apps being a realistic replacement for human resources unless perhaps the OP has something else in mind.

 

[Fino]

An app with some sort of stimming or a variety of stimming options sounds cool in my head. Not sure how it would work, but it sounds like something I'd use. Now I'm wondering if it exists already.

 

[Crossbreed]

@JoSchi, the defining trait of autism is that we lack social instincts. We can learn such mores by rote,* but NTs will always sense that delay in our response time. I am skeptical that an app even as sophisticated as having AI is going to be better at interpreting social cues than we are, let alone have a better response time. AI cannot even process humor like puns, etc.

That is just ASD1s. Many ASD2s & 3s lack either the interest or sophistication to bother with such an app. My 29yo ASD3 daughter has the mental age of an 18mo NT child. It would catch her interest for all of 15 seconds --if that-- and she would go back to dancing to the radio.

*Biological female autistics are shown to be better at masking than biological males.

 

[Neri]

My ASD3 son has a mental age of about a 7 year old. We have great support here in Australia, though. I'm very grateful to be Australian. For all our social ills, exorbitantly high cost of living and poisonous critters, we, at least, have good support for high needs disabled people. In my area it's especially good and there is no replacing human supports for autistic people.

 

[Progster]

Here's an idea: some sort of site like TripAdvisor especially for the neurodiverse, where people could rate and write reviews of businesses and servers. For example, if I'm travelling and need to use an airport, hotel, supermarket, restaurant, hairdresser's, etc. it would be really useful to read reviews from an autistic person's point of view of the services I plan to use. I would like to know in advance how 'autism friendly' a place, store or service is: whether it's noisy, busy, overcrowded, etc. More information is always good and helpful when travelling. This could be an app or a website.

 

[tazz]

Easy - make the app for NTs instead, and it just has to ping them every 5 minutes and remind them the person they are standing next to might be autistic so don't be a dolt. Haha. I'm joking of course.

Unfortunately the help I need isn't something that I instantly feel can be supplied by an app. But one thing that occurs to me is access to humans who can help me with basic things like making phone calls. The local specialist autism health service here has "link workers". You can book one-to-one meetings with them and they can do things like help you fill out forms and make phone calls. But you have to wait about 4 weeks for an appointment. I wonder if something that puts me in touch with someone like that on a same-day basis would be good. Like I can start my morning and then realise that I need to phone my doctor or the gas company or something, and I could ping someone through the app to do it for me - or be on the call with me to help.

 

[JoSchi]

An app is an application, but I guess you know that.

So we got some useful comments and some that are more or less useless ;-) there are apps existing, but they only cover small parts. Like a friend of mine uses an app where her autistic son can choose pictures, so he can tell her what‘s going on. He likes all kinds of techs, like tablets, smartphones etc.
It‘s ok if YOU or YOUR kid doesn‘t like these kind of things, but that doesn‘t mean others think the same about it.

There are ideas about links to other people, which is existing already when it comes to blind people for example. This is a nice idea and exactly what we want to hear. We need to hear the needs, we don‘t want to replace humans. Thanks tazz! Will write it down. Same for progster, thanks a lot.

@Crossbreed, I AM autistic, no need to explain me

Guys (and girls), it‘s about getting ideas of what you could find useful. It can be everything, there‘s no plan on trying to replace humans at all. Be kind, it‘s for helping.

My partner works in this business and has all the know-how how to get money, how to get a team that can realize this. What we need are ideas from people that are affected by it. I can only speak for myself, not for others.

Regards,

Joel

 

[JoSchi]

I can't speak for those in Luxembourg, but in the US, what we need cannot be supplied by an app. Unless you are obviously disabled, there is no support. High level autism (ASD1) is totally ignored, as if it didn't exist, yet we have difficulties and need support as much as the less functional. I never got support from therapists before I was diagnosed, but afterward the total support amounted to absolutely nothing (to be fair, a few public services made noise about support, but nothing came of it). If I need directions, there are numerous apps. If I need to know about sales, there are numerous app. If I need to compare items I might buy, there are numerous apps. If I need some way to deal with the pain of loneliness and rejection, there is no app. At best, there could be an app that might help me find a therapist who knows about autism and how to deal with it (although most who claim expertise don't have a clue, maybe your app can reject them as a source of help).

I feel so sorry hearing this and it makes me feel really angry. This shouldn‘t be a problem in any country and no one should ever be treated like this.

We‘re living in 2023 and I mean it‘s the US.
I wish I could say or do more.. I never felt alone after my diagnosis here in this country, because of the support they have. But I know how it feels and it‘s the worst feeling you can have. You shouldn‘t be feeling this..

 

[Alexej]

HI @JoSchi and Welcome

Talking of apps for people with ASD my mind goes to an app that I have come across at Animiapp.com

THis app is focused on alexithymia which is sometimes co-occuring with autism

 

[JoSchi]

HI @JoSchi and Welcome

Talking of apps for people with ASD my mind goes to an app that I have come across at Animiapp.com

THis app is focused on alexithymia which is sometimes co-occuring with autism

Hey Alexej!

we're not looking for apps that are already existing
I mean, yes we are, but no to copy them. I want your ideas for sth that does NOT already exist

 

[Alexej]

Hey Alexej!

we're not looking for apps that are already existing
I mean, yes we are, but no to copy them. I want your ideas for sth that does NOT already exist

OK - I'll have a think.

 

[Crossbreed]

@Crossbreed, I AM autistic, no need to explain me

I did not mean to tell you what you already know about autism.
I meant to highlight the nebulous nature of autism from a programmer's point of view.

 

[JoSchi]

I did not mean to tell you what you already know about autism.
I meant to highlight the nebulous nature of autism from a programmer's point of view.

We want ideas, there is a reason multiple Startups are getting a lot of money to develop this market.
The view of a programmer, in this case and at this stage, is not necessary, as it's not helpful for now. Which is not meant in a bad way. There are multiple ways an app could look like, not only focused on AI or detecting social cues.

So for now, we only need ideas, of people that are affected. An app can't be for everyone, for sure. So like your kid might not benefit from, based on what you told me. Other kids are already receiving support by several apps. But they are still far away from being perfect.

Critics will be appreciated when an app has been developped, for now please - only ideas, if you or someone else feels they got sth.

Regards,

Joel

 

[Neri]

I was just on another thread that was talking about "face blindness" which has a technical term as well prog something (I have untreated ADHD so excuse my memory) and it causes problems for those of us who don't remember people and the context we were supposed to have met them in, or know them from. A good App would have a bunch of information about all these people we allegedly know that we can refer to.
The problem with an App for "Autism" is what aspect of autism are you going to address?
It's a bit vague.

But this face blindness is a common co-morb, and perhaps that's the answer, do some research into the comorbidities that a lot of autistic people are struggling with, perhaps,?

This face blindness thing, and also, for me and my partner, who also has a Traumatic Brain Injury, forgetting people's names and where we met them, it puts a lot of pressure on the already-stressful social difficulties, so that one thing that one autistic person, actually two autistic people (but I'm sure I'm not the only one) struggle with.

Why not start a thread to identify what people are struggling with, that an App could help with?

 

[JoSchi]

This was actually what I meant. That people tell me what they‘re struggling with an where they think an app could help. My approach here wasn‘t the best or not clear enough, I‘ll correct it with a new thread this weekend.
Of course it‘s vague now. For now it‘s not important what form of ASD you have. We only want to hear with what people are struggling, ideas etc. An app could technically involve more than only one form of ASD. I could be related to a test or whatever to determine what part of the app will be for this person.
We‘re doing more things ofc. We will interview people, meet a lot of other people that are already trying to address this type of apps or techs, etc.

I‘ll start a new thread on Saturday or Sunday, maybe with clearer informations
Thanks for your idea, it‘s written down

 

[Crossbreed]

I was just on another thread that was talking about "face blindness" which has a technical term as well prog something...

Prosopagnosia.

 

[Tom]

I think I found some.

Can I get my donuts now? I'm sure your financially astute friend can figure out a way to transfer funds directly to Dunkin Donuts. Maybe set up a trust fund in my name. Don't want to be a bother but the sooner you do the sooner I can start getting to work on those Abs.