Upon reading an online article about the profound impact of autism on individuals' lives, We couldn't help but feel compelled to take action. As our search for resources to aid autistic individuals in their daily lives unfolded, We encountered a discouraging reality – there was a glaring lack of comprehensive support.
Recognizing this significant gap in resources, a sense of purpose welled up within us. We made the decision to embark on a journey to create a website that would cater to both adults and children on the autism spectrum, offering them valuable tools to lead fulfilling lives. Through countless hours of research, development, and outreach, the autism aid website gradually took shape. It became a labor of love, a testament to my dedication to making a positive impact on the autism community. The day it went live was both exhilarating and humbling, knowing that it could potentially touch the lives of so many.
Creating this website wasn't just a project; it was a journey fueled by empathy, a desire for inclusivity, and a commitment to bettering the lives of individuals with autism and their families. It's our hope that through this platform, We can contribute to a world where individuals with autism are not just understood but fully embraced for their unique strengths and capabilities
This endeavor is driven by a deep commitment to bridge the existing information deficit. The envisioned website will serve as a beacon of knowledge, providing a wealth of resources, advice, and support. It aims not only to empower autistic individuals but also to educate society at large about the unique challenges and strengths of those on the autism spectrum.
In essence, our goal is to foster a more inclusive world where individuals with autism are not only understood but also provided with the tools and understanding necessary to thrive. This initiative is a testament to the belief that knowledge and support have the power to transform lives and create a brighter, more equitable future for all.
Our website is designed to cater to both children and adults within the autism community, addressing their unique needs through distinct offerings:
For Children:
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Engaging Gamified Platform: We've developed an interactive, gamified platform tailored to children on the autism spectrum. This platform enhances their learning experiences through educational games, puzzles, and engaging activities designed to promote cognitive development and social skills.
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Video Sessions and Quizzes: We provide a library of video sessions specifically curated to meet the educational and developmental needs of children with autism. These sessions cover a wide range of topics, including communication skills, sensory processing, and emotional regulation.
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Interactive Sing-Alongs: Our platform includes interactive sing-alongs, fostering a fun and immersive way for children to engage with music while improving their communication and social interaction abilities.
For Adults:
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Volunteering Opportunities: We offer adults with autism the chance to actively participate in their communities by connecting them with volunteering opportunities. This not only empowers them but also promotes social integration and a sense of purpose.
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Community Support: We provide a supportive online community where adults can share their experiences, seek advice, and connect with others facing similar challenges and triumphs.
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Story Sharing: We provide a supportive space for autistic adults to share their stories, ideas and feelings on various arena of topics ranging from self-care to status-updating. People can create their own stories too and view other's stories too.
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Mentorship Programs: Our mentorship programs are facilitated by experts in the field of autism. These programs offer personalized guidance, career advice, and life skills coaching to help adults with autism achieve their goals and maximize their potential.
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Community Events : We also provide space for various communities to post about any upcoming community events in their locale, autistic users can RSVP nearest community meetup and share their thoughts.
Inclusivity is at the heart of our website, as we aim to empower both children and adults within the autism community, fostering growth, learning, and a sense of belonging.
After forking and cloning the repo, run the following command to get started
npm install
npm start
We used React and Tailwind CSS to build the interactive framework, Figma to create a beautiful design, OAuth and RandomUserAPI to implement authentication, Vercel to deploy our website and Git-GitHub to host or code and collaborate with team mates. We chose light green color palette for the Kid's version and light blue color palette for the Adult's version.
During the hackathon, our team encountered challenges related to communication and alignment, which occasionally made it difficult to stay on the same page. However, we successfully overcame these hurdles by implementing a well-organized approach that involved task delegation and strategic collaboration, enabling us to efficiently develop and deploy Embrace Autism.
Another obstacle we faced early in the hackathon was generating a viable idea. Nevertheless, through our collective efforts and determination, we were able to brainstorm and eventually present a minimum viable product (MVP) for our concept, Embrace Autism.
On the technical front, some team members encountered difficulties in using React effectively. However, we demonstrated a strong sense of unity and mutual support, assisting one another and collectively devising effective online solutions to address these challenges.
We take great pride in several accomplishments from our journey in developing Embrace Autism during the hackathon:
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Efficient Task Division: Despite initial communication challenges, we successfully divided tasks among our team members, allowing us to utilize our individual strengths effectively. This ensured that each aspect of Embrace Autism's development was handled with precision.
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Strategic Collaboration: We not only divided tasks but also strategically collaborated, combining our efforts to achieve common goals. This approach helped us overcome obstacles and maintain a unified vision for the project.
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Ideation Triumph: Overcoming the early struggle of generating a viable idea was a significant accomplishment. Through persistence and teamwork, we were able to brainstorm and develop the concept for Embrace Autism, which has the potential to make a positive impact on the autism community.
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MVP Presentation: Despite challenges, we successfully presented a minimum viable product (MVP) of Embrace Autism. This demonstrates our ability to work cohesively under pressure and deliver a tangible result within the allotted time frame.
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Technical Problem Solving: Addressing technical issues, particularly with React, was a collective accomplishment. We showcased our problem-solving skills by helping each other navigate these challenges, ensuring that our project's technical aspects were robust.
Overall, our accomplishments reflect our team's resilience, adaptability, and commitment to the project's success. Embrace Autism stands as a testament to our collective efforts and determination to make a meaningful contribution.
We learnt a lot about the problems faced by both Autistic Children and Adults, in learning and other activities of daily life. We learnt to find solutions to these real world problems and build something that can come to use to the people in need. In addition to this we had a great time connecting and learning from the MediHacks discord community and their workshops. We learnt to explore more about voice recognition and voice generation modules provided by npm . We also learnt to skim through documentations and learn at the go. In addition to this we also learnt to manage time and work effectively. We learnt to effectively divide tasks between team members and work as a team.
We aim to successfully integrate backend and database using Firebase in our project, make the kid interface more attractive, improve text to voice conversion features and include more scientific methods that can help Autistic Children learn and grow. In addition to this improve certain features about Adult interface, such as provide real time data, provide location specific stories, community events and volunteering opportunities, add text to voice conversion features and other accessibility features, and connect with various NGO's in real time.
Dear Friends and Supporters,
We, the passionate and dedicated developers behind Embrace Autism, extend our warmest greetings to you. It brings us immense joy to welcome you to our platform, where our shared mission is to foster a world of understanding, support, and inclusivity for the autism community.
Our journey has been one of profound collaboration, relentless dedication, and unwavering commitment to making a positive impact. Embrace Autism is not just a project; it's a labor of love born from our belief in the potential of technology and humanity to bring about meaningful change.
As developers, our aim is to create a space where knowledge is accessible, support is abundant, and connections are deeply enriching. We invite you to explore our platform, engage with our resources, and become part of this global movement that seeks to embrace autism with open hearts and open minds.
Thank you for joining us on this transformative journey. Together, we can create a world where every individual on the autism spectrum is celebrated for their unique brilliance.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Embrace Autism's Developer team
Happy Coding!