Autismate started out as a simple replacement for autism cards. However, due to the high interest presented by both parents and medical staff, the project expanded and allowed the integration of a multitude of aid systems.
In order to maintain a stable and easy to use product, the application separated users based on their roles, administrators creating content based on the user needs and the environment he is familiar with.To ensure this, the application enables the administrator to select images and videos from the web, local storage or reuse resources from the app itself. Since sound is just as important as images text-to-speech and recording were included.
The editing section of the application enables the creation of simulated environments and scenarios, by the use of scenes, stories, videos, step-by-step tutorials, custom keyboards and word cards.We went even further and included a location system, allowing the application to change based on the user location: home, school, work, etc.
The application was also expanded allowing users to share scenarios, offering the possibility to transfer any custom item between accounts. In order to accomplish this, custom models were build for each item and a synchronisation algorithm was implemented to minimise data loss and solve conflicts. In the unlikely event this couldn’t be achieved in a transparent manner, the user is given the final say on what should be saved.
The application offers a multitude of customisable items for each scenario, so in order to keep things simple, it starts with a basic package of locations and scenes, such as “Home”, “About Me, “Morning routine” and provides several step-by-step and video tutorials that help the user build cases.