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SEATTLE — For many families with children on the autism spectrum, everyday experiences—like getting a haircut, attending a birthday party, or even boarding a plane—can feel overwhelming. Now, a research team at the University of Washington Bothell is working to change that with a new app designed to make those moments easier.
The app, called MyStoria, currently being built, uses storytelling and artificial intelligence to help families prepare for potentially stressful situations before they happen.
“The app helps families create stories about future events that can be stressful for the family and the child,” said Dr. Annuska Zolyomi, an assistant professor at UW Bothell who is leading the project.
MyStoria is specifically designed with autistic children in mind, many of whom thrive on routine and predictability.
As unfamiliar events approach, the app allows families and caregivers to create personalized stories that walk children through what to expect—step by step.
“Having explicit information about what they can expect can really help them feel more comfortable on the day,” Zolyomi explained.
Whether it’s a trip to a grandparent’s house or a large holiday gathering, the goal is to reduce anxiety by turning the unknown into something familiar.
Zolyomi says the idea for MyStoria grew out of a gap she noticed in her research.
“Families really struggle with going out in public spaces and dealing with these social situations—even in school and everyday life,” she said.
At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence are making it possible to create more personalized, adaptive tools.
“We wanted to look at how we can create stories that are tailored to a child’s specific needs—how they understand emotions, sensory experiences, and social situations,” she said.
One of the app’s most unique features is its collaborative nature.
MyStoria acts as a platform where families, teachers, therapists, and caregivers can create and share stories. For example:
- Parents can build stories for upcoming events
- Therapists can contribute professionally designed social stories
- Extended family members can add their own voices and perspectives
The result is a deeply personal, evolving library of content tailored to each child.
“Eventually, we want it to be something shared within a family—where grandparents can add their voice, and the child builds a rich personal story library,” Zolyomi said.
The MyStoria prototype is currently being tested at UW Bothell’s IDEA Lab, where Zolyomi and her team are actively recruiting participants.
They’re looking to connect with:
- Families of autistic children
- Autistic individuals
- Teachers, therapists, and clinicians
Participants take part in hands-on sessions that include discussions about family dynamics and guided interactions with the app.
“We have them create a few stories that are relevant to them and then give us feedback on what they liked and what they didn’t like,” Zolyomi said.
To find participants, the team is partnering with local autism organizations and parent-teacher groups, while also encouraging new families to get involved.
Looking ahead, researchers envision MyStoria becoming part of a family’s daily routine.
Stories could be read at bedtime, revisited before big events, or even listened to independently by children using built-in audio features.
“We want it to be a playful, supportive tool families can use over time,” Zolyomi said.
For Zolyomi, the work is deeply personal and long-standing.
“I’ve been in the accessibility field for a few decades,” she said. “Understanding neurodiversity and different communication styles has really been a passion of mine.”
She also credits her student, Chris Yu, with helping bring the idea to life as a fully functioning app prototype.
The app is still in the research and development phase, with a public release still months away.
Before launch, the team plans to:
- Expand testing with therapists and children
- Refine personalization features
- Address important privacy concerns around data sharing
“We hope to release it in the app store, but we want to make sure we get it right,” Zolyomi said.
The MyStoria team is continuing to recruit participants for its research.
Families and professionals interested in taking part can connect with the IDEA Lab at UW Bothell, with more information available on their website.
