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Autism awareness platform for parents…
The research attempted to comprehend the requirements of autistic children as well as those who are in charge of providing for them, as well as the challenges they encounter when carrying out daily tasks for the same. This helped us understand the consumers' demands, yet creating a website to address them only seemed to be a drop in the ocean of issues they face. I have made an effort to weigh as many options as I can and would like to advance our project by resolving a growing number of issues for other stakeholders.
Recutism is an abbreviation for Recovery and Education for Autistic and Related Conditions used to describe a process of recovery and education that focuses on helping individuals with autism and related conditions to reach their full potential. The acronym also stands for Respect, Empowerment, Compassion, Understanding, Therapy, Integration, and Support.
Introduction
Decoding the existing tangible and intangible ASD products
1
The products have a lot of visual elements, such colours, characters, and tales, that keep ASD children interested.
2
The user interface (UI) is so complicated that it is challenging to grasp and caused problems, which led to users not utilising it, which might cause annoyance and pain.
3
It is educating the just the kids, keeping them hooked but not the parents.
4
The navigation of the entire application or the set up is too complicated with hardly leading to any conclusion.
Key Insights through Desk Research
1
Improving speech & language skills in younger children with ASD.
2
From the age of 1-6 as the growth in the development of children is faster, if treated the disorder can be cured through slow progression.
3
Interpersonal difficulties leading to interpersonal relationships development.
4
They are normal kids, just with difficulty concentrating.
5
Parents often need to invest money and time in therapy for their children.
6
Early diagnosis and intervention can lead to improved outcomes for individuals with ASD.
Five Why Analysis
Why are the symptoms of autism identified when it is late?
Why do parents counsel a doctor or educator late?
Why do parents not able identify the symptoms on their own and deny most of the symptoms?
Why are parents not aware about autism and their symptoms?
Why is their not much awareness about autism?
Target audience and their insights
The primary target audience for understanding autism would be autistic kids themselves, their parents, educators, and healthcare providers.
1
Autistic Kids
2
Parents
3
Educators & Trainers
4
Healthcare providers
Key Insights through interviews
& observations
- Early Intervention is Key.
- Communication is Important.
- Different Approaches Work for Different Children.
- Understanding and Acceptance are Vital.
- Support is Necessary.
- Every Child is Different.
Analysis & Synthesis
1
Early intervention, communication, understanding and acceptance, and a strong support system are all essential for helping children with autism.
2
Different approaches work for different children and it is important to find the approach that works best for the individual.
3
Every child with autism is unique and should be treated as such, with respect and patience.
Affinity Mapping
Persona
Empathy Mapping
Key Findings
1
Early diagnosis is key to improving outcomes for those with autism.
2
Early intervention can help reduce or eliminate many of the symptoms and behaviors associated with autism.
3
Improved awareness and understanding of autism can lead to better acceptance and support for those affected.
Problem Statement
Parents of autistic children need early identification and intervention to decrease symptoms and behaviours associated with autism, as well as to increase acceptance and support for individuals afflicted.
How Might We...
1
How might we improve autism detection and diagnosis?
2
How might we design successful therapies to lessen or eradicate autism-related symptoms and behaviours?
3
How might we raise autism knowledge and understanding to foster better acceptance and support?
Keywords and initial sketches
Variety of possibilities were sketches out in order to filter down the ones that were easy to use and more accessible
Information Architecture
Digital Sketches
Variety of possibilities were sketches out in order to filter down the ones that were easy to use and more accessible to the targeted audience for the same.
Paper Prototype and initial testing
Testing the low fidelity through paper prototype before jumping to the high fidelity.
Medium Fidelity
Once I was done with the low fidelity, Medium fidelity helped me to quickly explore different ideas and test usability without having to invest time and resources into creating a high fidelity prototype.
It aimed me get a proof of concept and to simulate the interaction for the solution.
High Fidelity
It is a website where professionals, medical professionals, and mainly parents can learn more about autism, take a quick test to determine their level of understanding, and learn the next steps.
This is how the user would perform the test for the detection. Features such as an online chat service where users can connect with a therapist, an online forum where users can discuss their issues with each other, and an interactive tutorial to help users understand autism concepts.
Get started with the questions to be answered for the test.
A brief explanation on how this website works in order for the users to figure out.
Information on the types of tests that could be taken by the users.
Choosing onto the best plan available for the user.
Testimonial and reviews for the previous users.
Brief Insights of testing
At the start, my focus was on the issues autistic kids experience, attempting to find solutions. However, once I realized the difficulties faced by those helping autistic kids, I redirected my attention to that, understanding it to be the underlying source.
Although the overall application received much better feedback than the other apps for autism, it still had a number of shortcomings.
- The information can be displayed using additional icons.
- There is neither a return button nor a forward button to move to the next question.
- Added the opportunity for users to navigate between pages or questions with the ability to go back and return to the same page.
- To better comprehend the user's perspective and give them more information, additional options have been added to the home page.
- A growing amount of material is needed on the website since it serves as an educational resource for understanding autism and its symptoms.
Future Scope
The changes that were made in the design were appreciated by the users but they wanted more changes to make the website more interactive and informative.
More content will be added to the website to provide up-to-date information on autism topics, including videos and articles written by experts in the field.
This service would be in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and provide users with a safe and secure platform to discuss their autism concerns. Furthermore, this service would include a range of resources, such as videos, audio recordings, and articles, to help users understand and manage their autism.
With the help of the WHO, this project will be able to reach a larger audience and provide help to those who may have limited access to traditional autistic therapy services.
By providing an interactive platform and up-to-date information, users will be able to connect with professional help and obtain the resources they need to take control of their mental health.
I am confident that this project will be successful in helping those who need the aid for autism.
Learnings
1
At the start, my focus was on the issues autistic kids experience, attempting to find solutions. However, once I realized the difficulties faced by those helping autistic kids, I redirected my attention to that, understanding it to be the underlying source.
2
To ensure successful results throughout the process, I prioritized the empathy stage over the business objectives.
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