Co-creating the Stress Autism Mate (SAM): development of an mHealth application for autistic adults using a design
Alvin van Asselt1, Yvette Roke1
1Emerhese Flevoland, GGz Centraal, Almere, Netherlands.
Background:
Mobile health (mHealth) applications are becoming increasingly popular for delivering mental health support, yet insights on how to tailor them effectively for autistic individuals remain limited.
Methods:
This paper describes the co-creation process of the Stress Autism Mate (SAM), a free, evidence-based stress management application for autistic adults.
Results:
Development was guided by the five stages of the Design Thinking framework: Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. Various challenges encountered over seven years of development are outlined, along with the iterative refinements made to address them. Based on continuous feedback from autistic adults, development emphasised a minimalist, predictable interface, essential personalisation options, and stress-related insights readily applicable to daily life.
Discussion:
The lessons learned may offer practical guidance for designing tailored mHealth applications for autistic adults and other populations with specific needs or preferences.
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