AutisMIND Videos: An Interactive Platform to Promote Adaptation for Autistic Individuals

Making off — AutisMIND has been designed with the collaboration of professionals, people with ASD and their families. Source: AutisMIND

A new streaming platform has been launched targeting therapists, teachers, and families to help people with ASD adapt to everyday situations.

People with an autism spectrum disorder perceive the world differently and often experience difficulties adapting to the context. As a result, they develop more mental health issues, which affect their well-being and quality of life. They may also be excluded from social participation, often leading to isolation, which is one of the most significant problems for this group in adulthood, once compulsory education has ended.

That is why the company IDAPP MIND decided to develop AutisMIND Videos, a support tool for families and professionals featuring interactive videos and other resources to teach adaptation strategies to autistic individuals, while also promoting their inclusion and autonomy. "The idea came from clinical experience and therapeutic work with adolescents and young adults," explains Alex Escolà, psychologist, CEO of AutisMIND, and co-founder of the company.

"On the one hand, we are witnessing an increase in the prevalence of autism, already at 1 in 36 births in the USA, according to the CDC, and around 1% of the population in Europe. On the other hand, there are few specific therapeutic resources designed for adolescents and adults with autism. Most available materials, tools, and resources are aimed at children, with a very infantilized interface that does not meet the needs of young people and adults," adds Escolà.

With AutisMIND Videos, individuals with ASD can learn to manage complicated day-to-day situations, acquiring skills and strategies to cope with everyday problems. The tool provides resources to enhance their well-being, quality of life, and functional adaptation. Additionally, its use allows for anticipating stressful situations, reducing anxiety, and promoting self-awareness, flexibility, self-determination, and autonomy.

The videos included in AutisMIND allow interaction to choose different options. As the video progresses, the user can make decisions that will determine how the story continues. They will have to decide how to solve a problem, what to do next, guess how a character feels, and, in the end, discover different endings depending on the path chosen.

The situations presented in the videos are real problems experienced by people with ASD who did not know how to resolve them. These will help others learn from them, empathize, and reflect on how to act, anticipating the consequences of the decisions made. A medical visit, going to the hairdresser, bullying situations at school, a date, a job interview, or problems with social media use are some examples.

The platform's promoters state that evidence-based practices support the use of ICT as a tool for intervention in ASD, and the video format allows for realistic recreation of everyday situations, becoming a very effective tool for working with adolescents and adults. Moreover, the interactive component promotes motivation and active attention, making it fun and encouraging learning.

Starting this week, the web platform is available for computers, mobiles, or tablets and offers different subscriptions for families, therapists, or companies. Additionally, new content will be added regularly, and it also includes tutorial videos, interactive exercises, downloadable materials, professional training, testimonial videos from autistic people, and other useful information for professionals and families.