Tips Hub app designed by and for autistic people
Leading charity Autistica launches free, new app designed to empower autistic people, their families and the professionals who work with them.
A new app aims to make everyday life easier for autistic people. It has been designed to be convenient, user friendly and trustworthy, in response to feedback from the wider neurodivergent community that it can be overwhelming to search for reliable information about autism online.
Photo by Hiki App
Tips Hub is available now for free download for iOS (Apple) devices from the Apple Store and for Android devices from Google Play.
The app provides support in three discrete sections. Its ‘Everyday Tips’ covers everything from diagnostic and post-diagnostic support to gaming and resources to help in day-to-day activities.
Notably, this includes financial well-being and resilience – a topic where autistic people have repeatedly said they wanted credible guidance. The guidance on the app has been developed in partnership with experts from Aviva and other financial services, and was made possible through the support of the Aviva Foundation. As well as offering support to autistic people, the app contains tailored resources to support professionals in financial services so that they can cater for autistic people’s needs.
Then there are ‘Professional Tips’, aimed at the professionals who support autistic people and their families. The aim is to help them be more inclusive in their work and services, with material covering a wide range of topics.
Finally, there are ‘Mental Health and Well-being Tips’ aimed at autistic people, their families and the professionals who support them. These will help users better understand the complex challenges related to mental health and autism, with proven tools and resources to provide support and help with self-advocacy. This section of Tips Hub has benefited from the proceeds of the annual Jingle Jam gaming event.
The three sections support Autistica’s 2030 goals, in providing every autistic person with support from day one diagnosis, offering proven treatments for anxiety, making public spaces more accessible to neurodivergent people, changing attitudes to autistic people for the better and doubling the employment rate among autistic people.
At the same time, the app is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Users are encouraged to seek help from a qualified professional before making medical decisions or acting on tips contained in the app.
Dr Amanda Roestorf, Director of Research at Autistica, says: ‘Community members were increasingly concerned that internet searches provide huge amounts of information at a time, and not all of the search results are evidence-based or accurate. The concept behind the Tips Hub is that we are able to provide registered and non-registered users alike access to tips and resources, all of which have been reviewed by Autistica’s team of researchers to ensure that all the information contained in the app is not only accurate, but helpful too.
‘What really sets this app apart from other resources is that autistic community members have been an integral part of the development of the Tips Hub, right throughout the process. We have prioritised the roll-out of content based on what autistic people have told us is most important to them.
Owen Morris, MD Personal Lines at Aviva, adds: ‘It’s great news that the Aviva Foundation is supporting Autistica and the Tips Hub app, which will help autistic people access the support they need in a way that works for them. I’m pleased the Aviva Foundation can help support the financial resilience and wellbeing of autistic people, their families and the communities they live in.’
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