Development of an online skills training platform for autistic adults: A participatory approach

Purpose: The voices of adults living on the autism spectrum are being increasingly heard, yet interventions that can be adjusted to their individual needs are urgently required. This paper reports on the first phase of a project that aims to have adults with autism participate meaningfully in co-designing an engaging digital skills development platform incorporating microskills training programs and digital tools to enhance wellbeing and social-emotional functioning. Methods: Adults with autism were recruited in Australia to participate in an online survey (N = 17) and/or focus groups or interviews (N = 11) designed to establish preferences for content, presentation, and functionality of the platform. Results: Participants highlighted the importance of integrating communication, social, relationship, employment, and organisational skills with content presented via graphics/diagrams and text. In addition, a consistent finding across both quantitative and qualitative data was the preference for content delivered by peers. Conclusion: There are few evidence-based interventions designed to improve the lives of adults with autism. Key areas of focus were identified, with the importance of personalising the platform to ensure it caters to varying levels of ability and the different preferences of adults with autism also noted.