Technology has significantly impacted the lives of neurodivergent individuals, providing tools that enhance communication, organization, and daily living.
The development of these apps benefits immensely from neurodivergent input, ensuring that the solutions are effective, user-friendly, and inclusive. Companies have gone to market with strategies that appeal to the autistic community by focusing on accessibility and the unique needs of neurodivergent individuals.
This article reviews various apps that might appeal to adults with autism, focusing on schedulers, timers, habit trackers, mood trackers, and tools for managing overstimulation.
This is a great area where there's high demand for tech-based support.
Description: HabitRPG is a habit-building and productivity app that uses gamification to motivate users. By completing good habits and avoiding bad ones, users can collect points. Platforms: iOS and Android Website: Habitica Cost: Free to download, with in-app purchases.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: HabitRPG integrates feedback from neurodivergent users to enhance the user experience, making the app engaging and effective. Marketing efforts highlight the app’s ability to transform mundane tasks into exciting challenges, appealing to the need for structure and motivation.
Description: Routinely helps users establish, track, understand, and be more mindful of their daily routines. It allows goal setting for daily tasks and provides notifications and history views. Platforms: iOS only Website: Routinely Cost: Free to download.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: By involving neurodivergent users in the development process, Routinely ensures its features are tailored to their specific needs. Marketing emphasizes the app’s ability to provide structure and reminders, which are particularly beneficial for individuals with autism.
Description: Todoist acts as a checklist, organizer, calendar, reminder, and habit-forming app. It can be shared for joint projects and integrated with other apps like Dropbox and Alexa. Platforms: iOS and Android Website: Todoist Cost: Free, with premium versions available.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Todoist benefits from continuous feedback from neurodivergent users, ensuring it remains intuitive and versatile. Marketing efforts target the app’s flexibility and integration capabilities, appealing to those who require comprehensive organizational tools.
Description: Work Autonomy assists with person-generated communication with coworkers and supervisors, tracks task analysis and work schedules, and provides access to concrete work expectations. Platforms: iOS only Website: Work Autonomy Cost: Paid app, approximately €190.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Work Autonomy’s development included input from neurodivergent professionals to create an app that meets their communication and organizational needs. Marketing highlights the app’s ability to facilitate workplace independence and clear communication.
Description: A simple visual timer that uses a clock face and a countdown bar to show the remaining time, with color changes to orange and red as time runs out. Platforms: iOS only Website: Visual Timer Cost: Approximately €2.50.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Feedback from neurodivergent users ensures that Visual Timer is easy to use and visually accessible. Marketing focuses on the app’s simplicity and effectiveness in managing time, which is crucial for users with autism.
Description: Time Timer is a visual timer that allows users to create and save timers for everyday tasks. It can alarm or vibrate when time expires. Platforms: iOS and Android Website: Time Timer Cost: Approximately €4.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: The development process involved neurodivergent input to ensure the timer is user-friendly and functional. Marketing emphasizes the timer’s utility in managing daily routines and reducing anxiety related to time management.
Here ar some great apps for kids in school or college students.
Description: Helps keep track of classes, exams, and assignments, using color and icons for at-a-glance information. Platforms: iOS only Website: Pocket Schedule Planner Cost: Subscription-based, from €2 per week, €13 per year.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: By involving students with autism in the development process, Pocket Schedule Planner ensures features that cater to their organizational needs. Marketing targets students’ need for visual aids and structured scheduling.
Description: A timetabling and scheduling app that is cross-platform and free for students, with schools able to pay for cross-school access. Platforms: iOS, Android, Web Website: MyStudyLife Cost: Free.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Continuous feedback from neurodivergent students shapes MyStudyLife’s features, ensuring inclusivity and ease of use. Marketing focuses on the app’s comprehensive scheduling capabilities and user-friendly interface.
Description: Tracks classes, assignments, homework, and exams with a simple interface. It can link with teachers.io to download notes and files. Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, Web Website: myHomework Student Planner Cost: Free and premium versions (€5.00 per year).
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: myHomework’s development involved input from neurodivergent students to ensure its practicality and functionality. Marketing highlights the app’s ability to simplify academic tracking and improve productivity.
Helping autistic people get in better touch with themselves is powerful.
Description: Tracks moods using graphs and calendars, with a community aspect for support and advice. Platforms: iOS, Android, Web Website: MoodPanda Cost: Free.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: MoodPanda integrates feedback from neurodivergent users to enhance its mood tracking and community features. Marketing emphasizes the app’s supportive community and comprehensive mood tracking tools.
Description: Helps users track emotions over time with six pre-installed areas, including Anxiety, Depression, Well-Being, and Stress. Users can customize additional scales. Platforms: iOS and Android Website: Psyberguide Cost: Free.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: T2 Mood Tracker’s development involved neurodivergent input to ensure its relevance and usability. Marketing focuses on the app’s customizable tracking and its role in managing mental health.
Regulation is a big part of living a whole, healthy life as an autistic person.
Description: Designed to help with sensory overload by providing strong visual stimuli that move in predictable patterns. Platforms: iOS and Android Website: Miracle Modus Cost: Free.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Neurodivergent users contributed to the app’s design to ensure it effectively manages sensory overload. Marketing highlights the app’s predictable visual patterns and calming effects.
Description: Allows users to create minimalist melodies for relaxation purposes. Platforms: iOS only Website: Dropophone Cost: Free.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Dropophone’s development included neurodivergent input to ensure it is soothing and easy to use. Marketing emphasizes the app’s simplicity and its ability to aid in relaxation.
Description: A range of apps to help with relaxation and overstimulation. Platforms: iOS, Android, Web, Chrome Website: Sensory App House Cost: Free.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Feedback from neurodivergent users guides the development of Sensory Apps, ensuring they are effective and accessible. Marketing focuses on the wide range of sensory experiences provided by the apps.
Description: An interactive fluid simulation where users control fluid flow and colors with their fingers. Platforms: iOS only Website: Fluidity Cost: Free.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Fluidity’s design is informed by neurodivergent users to ensure it is engaging and calming. Marketing highlights the app’s interactive and visually stimulating features.
Description: Provides melody and white noise to aid in relaxation and sleep. Platforms: iOS and Android Website: Relax Melodies Cost: Free to download, with in-app purchases.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Neurodivergent feedback helps shape Relax Melodies’ features to ensure effectiveness in relaxation. Marketing emphasizes the app’s customizable soundscapes and ease of use.
There are plenty of contexts in which tapping out and getting in a better headspace can support neurodivergent individuals.
Description: A meditation and mindfulness app with guided sessions to help users relax and cope with stress and anxiety. Platforms: iOS, Android, Web Website: Headspace Cost: Free.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Headspace incorporates neurodivergent feedback to ensure its sessions are accessible and beneficial. Marketing highlights the app’s guided meditation and mindfulness techniques.
Description: Helps users change how they think about anxiety, promoting relaxation and proactive stress management. Platforms: iOS and Android Website: Anxiety Canada Cost: Free.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Mind Shift’s development includes neurodivergent input to ensure its strategies are effective. Marketing focuses on the app’s cognitive-behavioral techniques and user-friendly design.
Description: A stress management tool with guided breathing exercises, capable of connecting to Apple Watch to monitor heart rate during exercises. Platforms: iOS and Android Website: Psyberguide Cost: Free.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Neurodivergent feedback ensures Breathe2Relax’s breathing exercises are accessible and effective. Marketing emphasizes the app’s integration with health monitoring and its role in stress reduction.
Description: A white noise app with a large inventory of sounds and music designed for those with ADD, but useful for others as well. Platforms: iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Web Website: Focus@Will Cost: Subscription-based, free trial, approximately €50 per year, €180 for lifetime membership.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Feedback from neurodivergent users guides the app’s development to ensure it aids in concentration and relaxation. Marketing highlights the extensive sound library and its effectiveness for focus.
Time management is a vital skill for any individual.
Description: Requires users to solve a puzzle or math problem to turn off the alarm. Platforms: iOS and Android Website: Kog Creations Cost: Free to download, with in-app purchases.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: Input from neurodivergent users ensures the alarm’s features are engaging and effective. Marketing emphasizes the app’s unique wake-up strategies and effectiveness in preventing oversleeping.
Description: Presents a splash screen that explains to the person holding the device that the user can’t use speech at the moment, followed by a simple chat client. Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows Website: Emergency Chat Cost: Free.
Neurodivergent Input and Marketing: The development of Emergency Chat includes feedback from neurodivergent users to ensure its effectiveness during meltdowns. Marketing emphasizes the app’s ability to facilitate communication during critical moments.
By involving neurodivergent individuals in the development process and enacting marketing strategies that resonate with the autistic community, these companies have created tools that are not only functional but also genuinely supportive. These apps exemplify the potential for technology to empower neurodivergent users, providing them with tools to navigate daily challenges and improve their quality of life.