Senior Design Projects
ECS193 A/B Winter & Spring 2021
Mind The Gap mobile app
| ********** | |
| Name | Amber Fitzgerald |
| Affiliation | UC Davis MIND Institute |
Project's details
| Project title | Mind The Gap mobile app |
| Background | Dr. Aubyn Stahmer is the primary investigator for the Autism Intervention Network on Behavior Health-4 (AIRB-4) project at the UC Davis MIND Institute. Using community-partnered participatory research (CPPR) approaches, the Autism Intervention Network for Behavioral Health (AIRB) researchers have set the standard for developing, implementing and evaluating interventions in under-resourced communities, including impoverished schools and communities, and with families from traditionally disenfranchised groups. Our AIRB sites have established a successful research network devoted to addressing core and associated autism symptoms. Success has been measured in parents’ and providers’ ability to access and implement interventions successfully, as well as improved child outcomes. Despite these successes, achieving sustained change is challenging. If we are to have a lasting impact, autism intervention research must focus on broadening access, expanding reach, and facilitating widespread availability of services in the community. Mind the Gap is a parent advocacy intervention developed by AIRB, focused on supporting historically underserved families of children diagnosed with autism in understanding the service delivery system and accessing services. The Mind the Gap intervention helps under-resourced families access intervention services faster after an autism diagnosis. Mind the Gap uses a modular approach to family support. Families work with a peer coach (another parent of a child with autism) using Mind the Gap materials. Seven modules orient around major topics of interest to families post-diagnosis (e.g., navigating the system, dealing with stigma, stress management). Each module includes short informational videos, narrated PowerPoint presentations, infographics and brief information sheets, activities, and topic-related worksheets. MTG materials are available in English, Spanish, and Korean. The materials for Mind the Gap can be viewed on-line at https://www.livebinders.com/b/2665813. Previously the materials were available to families through this link, but families reported difficulty accessing the videos and materials and viewing the content easily. Many families with limited resources use their smartphones primarily. In order to improve access and reach more families, the AIRB-4 team is hoping to use a mobile app to |
| Description | N/A |
| Deliverable | Students working on this project will assist in the design and implementation of a mobile and computer app that will allow families of children diagnosed with autism to access informational videos, materials and resources. The app will also enable the AIRB-4 team to share content and material with peer coaches and families in an efficient and accessible way. The AIRB-4 team will then be able to collect data on access of materials across families to assist in the continued development of materials and support to ensure the needs of families are being addressed through the intervention and materials. The project team will design and build the Mind The Gap App Review current Mind the Gap materials Design structure of app in collaboration with research staff for ease of access Create interactive and visually appealing presentation of materials on app Develop data retrieval of app access and use to meet the needs of the research project Test and improve the app with research team feedback |
| Skill set desirable | Experience with coding and app development Experience with programming for data collection |
| Phone number | ********** |
| Client time availability | 30-60 min weekly or more |
| IP requirement | Open source project |
| Attachment | Click here |
| Selected | No |
| Team members | N/A |
| TA | N/A |