People on the autism spectrum have a different perception of the environment than neurotypical people and often require support in various activities of daily living. Assistive technology can support those affected, but very few smart-home-like technologies exist. To support people on the autism spectrum in their autonomy and safety and to help caregivers, a smart home and interior design environment was developed. Requirements were gathered by employing a holistic human-centered design approach through interactive workshops and questionnaires to create a useful and user-friendly solution. From this process, requirements for a comprehensive solution (the SENSHOME environment) emerged. These requirements include a set of functionalities tailored to the needs of people on the autism spectrum, such as a crowd warning that informs when many people are in a certain area (for example, the entrance), an automatic light regulation system, or a daily life planner that supports task completion. Furthermore, inclusive furniture elements such as a refuge seat or a table with dividers can support wellbeing, autonomy, and safety. This paper demonstrates a consequent and considerable participatory research approach and the story from the target group and context of use through design requirements to the initial design solution of the SENSHOME environment.

Neurodivergent individuals, particularly those on the autism spectrum, often experience increased stress in everyday situations and may benefit from accessible digital support tools. This work presents the human-centered development and evaluation of a mobile application for stress self-assessment and management, involving neurodivergent users and caregivers. Interactive mock-ups were evaluated with 16 participants using the System Usability Scale (SUS), achieving a mean score of 81, indicating high perceived usability. A functional prototype was subsequently tested in a think-aloud usability study with four participants. Qualitative content analysis revealed key strengths in intuitive interaction, alongside challenges in navigation, interaction feedback, data visualization, and terminology. Participants also emphasized the need for enhanced personalization, accessibility features, and clearer visual communication. The results suggest that mobile applications can provide effective and accessible support for stress management in neurodivergent populations, while highlighting important design considerations for future development and real-world deployment.

Neurodivergent individuals, particularly those on the autism spectrum, often experience support-needs in activities of daily living. This is often due to sensory processing differences that challenge environmental comfort. While technology-based interventions show promise, requirement-driven and accessible solutions for private living settings remain scarce. This project developed a practical guideline that repurposes commercially available smart home technologies to support daily living, environmental comfort, and safety for autistic users and their caregivers. Methods included a literature and technology review focused on sensory stressors (e.g., temperature, noise, light, air quality, movement), synthesis of use cases from two prior human-centered, participatory projects, and iterative refinement via a focus group with experts ( N = 2) and an interview with an adult on the autism spectrum. Technologies were selected for interoperability within mainstream ecosystems and coverage across typical use cases. The resulting guide integrates theoretical foundations with actionable configurations in three domains: General safety (e.g., alarms), structuring daily life (e.g., schedules via voice assistants), and autism-specific supports (e.g., presence sensors). By leveraging off-the-shelf components, the approach reduces cost and barriers to adoption, enhances accessibility, and is suitable for technical novices. This resource aims to improve well-being and autonomy, mitigate caregiver burden, and foster autism-inclusive living environments.

Purpose: People on the autism spectrum encounter significant challenges in different activities of daily living. This paper presents the findings of a participatory research study that explores the potential of this approach to address the needs of individuals on the autism spectrum and outlines the outcomes emerging from the participatory process. Methods: This participatory research project was grounded in the Open Innovation in Science framework. In different phases of the project, various participatory research methods were employed: advisor consultations, group discussions, questionnaires, and participatory working groups. As the core part of the participatory process, six working groups were formed, comprising people on the autism spectrum and other experts. These citizen scientists led all decision-making and implementation. Results: A survey on challenges in the daily lives of people on the autism spectrum identified difficulties in social interaction, public transport, education, contact with public authorities, and the healthcare system. Based on these results, six working groups comprising 28 citizen scientists worked over a ten-month period to enhance the daily lives of individuals with autism by fostering greater inclusivity. The groups worked on the domains “Working Life”, “Education”, “Public Authority Contacts”, “Shopping”, “Healthcare System”, and “Information, Networking, and Exchange”. Among other outcomes, the working groups developed a toolbox of educational materials for schools and a map of autism-inclusive healthcare providers. Conclusion: The results of this project demonstrate the potential of community-driven initiatives in addressing the multifaceted needs of individuals on the autism spectrum and contribute to developing autism-inclusive environments across various domains of daily life.

Telerehabilitation can be a valuable addition to conventional rehabilitation after a stroke. The aim of the presented study was to assess the feasibility and integrability of a newly developed platform and service model to offer telerehabilitation in different settings in an initial field trial. The field trial was conducted in two clinics and a freelance therapy setting in Austria and Slovenia. Data were gathered using questionnaires for patients, therapists, and, if applicable, relatives. The data were analyzed using descriptive methods. Three patients were treated by seven therapists (occupational, physio, speech). During the test, the patients completed more than 25 exercises per week on average. The usability of the system, in general, was high, with slightly better results for the patients. Overall, the patients stated that telerehabilitation is a good addition to conventional therapy, although the quality of online therapy is not as high as face-to-face therapy. The therapists reported that the system was easy to use but had some obstacles in exercise preparation. The integrability in daily life was good, according to the patients. For the therapists, integrability was average, as the test showed some obstacles in the provision of services beyond the clinical setting. Further studies are required to elaborate on the quality of teletherapeutic interventions in the proposed flexible service model.