My Autism Passport is available for free to parents and caregivers of children with autism across Canada. The app is designed so that parents, physicians, educators and agencies can more easily track and communicate information in order to help ensure that parents are navigating the healthcare system with ease.

During the production of Beyond the Spectrum, our team had an opportunity to develop a digital media tool thanks to initial funding from the TELUS Fund. While developing the app concept we consulted with Oskar’s parents, Carly and Stef. Our team highlighted the need for an organizing app because parents are required to track to such a large amount of information and this can be overwhelming to parents. Everyone agreed that a simple tool to help manage activities and notes related a child’s treatment plan would be one of the most useful ways to save parents time and effort.

Dr. Elizabeth Young and her research team at St. Michael’s Hospital had developed a paper-based tracking tool designed to guide families through the steps of accessing treatment and services. When Beyond the Spectrum learned of their work we approached St. Michael’s with an invitation to partner on the project and an offer to turn the passport into an app.

The original passport was provided to parents at the time of diagnosis as part of a research study. As a result of their study, St. Michael’s was able to explore how factors such as parental education, family stress and socioeconomic status influence the number of services a child receives. They determined that use of the Passport tracking tool aided caregivers in accessing services with greater frequency compared to caregivers who did not have the Passport to guide them. According to Dr. Young, “We are just beginning to understand the journey caregivers navigate after their child receives a diagnosis of Autism, and the challenges they face.”

When Autism Speaks Canada introduced the two teams in 2016, St. Michael’s Hospital was brought on as a partner, and their previous research on the paper-based tracking tool informed the design and creation of the new app. Working with the developers at Tactica Interactive, St. Michael’s and Beyond the Spectrum have created a user friendly app designed to be offered to parents at the time of diagnosis. My Autism Passport (M.A.P.) will help guide them through the process of accessing services and support their care plan by tracking information about service providers and appointments, while creating an organized log of activities for parents.  St. Michael’s Hospital plans to use the app to continue their research into the barriers that families face in accessing services for children with autism, and explore the differences in health and educational outcomes for children that receive support earlier in their lives.

“What is exciting about this research is that we have learned that this type of tool is helpful for parents because it supports and empowers them to find services for their child, even when the system is complicated and the waitlists are long.” – Dr. Elizabeth Young, St. Michael’s Hospital

The app is geared toward parents whose child has already received an autism diagnosis, however its knowledge base will benefit anyone seeking information about autism treatment and services across Canada.