Helping Children with Autism is “Routine Success” in Kansas City
Two Whiteboard2Boardroom companies are collaborating to develop a product that helps young people with ADHC and high-functioning autism. Nascent Stage Development now owns the rights to develop Routine Success, a smartphone-based app developed by Kansas City businessman Matt Gunter.
Some young people with neurological conditions like ADHD and high-functioning autism need almost constant support as they manage through their day. Remembering and following routines is particularly difficult. Their parents can serve that purpose at home, but a busy teacher can’t fill that role at school. Traditional tools like physical calendars and signs can create social anxiety. Cell phones are too intrusive for school settings.
Routine Success in an application developed by Matt Gunter for a smartwatch that can bring “routines” to aid the child in staying focused and organized, particularly at school. The Routine Success app for a smartwatch allows parents to build a virtual schedule for a child’s day. The smartwatch then vibrates gently to prompt the child to take particular actions throughout the day. The parent receives a notice that the task was completed.
The app is simple and easy to use. The hardware is affordable. This solution does not require the child to have a smartphone at school and because it runs through a watch, does not raise any social stigmas.
Routine Success was developed by Matt Gunter. “I developed Routine Success because I saw firsthand how regular routines can help young people with conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD be more productive, confident, and independent throughout the day,” Gunter said. “Routine Success allows parents to help their kids with regular routines even when they can’t be with them.”
Nascent Stage Development was formed by Bob Etzel to develop early-stage innovations into marketable technologies. Nascent is also working with iSocial, a technology out of the University of Missouri-Columbia that helps children with autism develop social skills.
“The Nascent Stage Development team is thrilled to work with Matt Gunter in helping children with ASD,” Etzel said. “The theme for our company is ‘Socialization for the Next Generation.’ Our brands support people with ASD by helping them overcome obstacles they face in social settings.”
The expertise on autism comes from the Thompson Center on Autism and University of Missouri Research teammates. The NSD technologists contribute by introducing new technologies to ASD. Up to this point, children with ASD were supported with the same technologies that their grandparents used: paper, ink, binders. “We are now solving socialization issues for the next generation of kids by using the next gen technologies that will be common in their lives,” Etzel said.
