Enabling parents of autistic kids to leverage AI
Prateek Singh
Marketing Strategist
Blog Writer
SEO Writer
Canva
ChatGPT
Claude
A chance occurrence led to a surprisingly positive outcome.
Earlier this summer, I was about to leave my sister's home after a two-week visit. She was busy working on a social story deck for my 5-year-old nephew Zayne, who is on the spectrum. Although she is a physician, this task proved to be quite challenging for her—it's not her area of expertise! I understood her struggle.
So, I seized the moment, activated my trusty ChatGPT, and a few clever messages later, here’s what I created:
Not only was my sister now about to be hooked to GPT, but she also messaged a WhatsApp group that included other parents with kids on the spectrum. Because she was kind enough to give me credit, I could gauge how people in different occupations can have, on a general level, super low tech efficiency, let alone AI.
I chose to provide these parents with a “pay what you can” option. Here are some of the ways I started working with them and followed the below approach -
Initial Assessment - Conduct one-on-one sessions to understand each parent's comfort level and concerns with technology.
Set Goals - Define specific, achievable goals, like improving smartphone skills or navigating social media.
Personalized Learning Plan - Develop tailored plans covering device navigation, relevant apps, online safety, and useful technology.
Hands-On Sessions - Schedule 5 to 10 interactive sessions with practical exercises, real-life scenarios, and troubleshooting.
Feedback and Adjustments - Collect feedback post-sessions to refine the learning plan for relevance and engagement.
Encouragement of Exploration - Motivate parents to explore technology independently with provided resources.
Ongoing Support - Set up a follow-up method for continued assistance and questions.
Celebrate Milestones - Acknowledge progress to boost confidence and motivation. This structured approach enhances parents' skills and confidence in using technology.
What did it lead to?
Major leap in their tech-savvy skills! They’re practically digital ninjas now.
Routines have transformed into smooth, automated workflows with nifty tricks like “lists, social stories, labels/flyers,” plus bite-sized summaries to keep parents in the loop about autism and all the cool resources out there!
Recorded walkthroughs of using some technology—some of the most common activities (templates, scheduling, etc.) from the daily routines at home, school, and kids’ therapies.
Assisting the parents in utilizing other AI tools like Claude.ai and Grok to inquire about specific behavioral traits their children might exhibit. Many of them expressed that this was truly a godsend.
Why was this special to me?
Much more acquainted with what autism is and how it can manifest completely differently in different individuals. Now, I know more ways to bond with Zayne! I feel like an inherent part of his journey.
