Our Journey with Autism 2.1

The Emily Center at Phoenix Children's Hospital offers the mobile application Our Journey™ with Autism as a valuable resource for families with children diagnosed with autism. This tool assists parents in navigating the complexities of their child's diagnosis and provides relevant information that can also be beneficial during clinic or emergency room visits.

Upon receiving an autism diagnosis, many parents encounter an overwhelming amount of medical jargon from healthcare providers. While these professionals may believe they are communicating clearly, they often neglect to ensure that families fully comprehend the information and resources available to them. The app empowers parents by encouraging them to articulate their understanding and seek clarification, allowing for improved communication with their care teams.

Our Journey™ with Autism is designed to:

• Aid families from the moment of diagnosis throughout their journey with autism, enhancing dialogue with healthcare professionals.
• Facilitate parental identification of essential knowledge needed post-diagnosis.
• Provide a supportive space for parents to admit uncertainties and seek necessary information.
• Guide families on key points they need to convey to their healthcare team, enabling providers to address any misconceptions.
• Boost parental confidence in managing their child's care at home, recognizing potential issues, responding appropriately, and knowing whom to contact for support.

About the Emily Center at Phoenix Children's Hospital:

The Emily Center was established in 1990 in memory of Emily Anderson, who battled a rare form of leukemia for four years. After her passing just days before her seventh birthday, her parents founded the Center to ensure that families dealing with pediatric illnesses would have access to understandable, accurate health information at no cost to Arizona's families.

The development of the Our Journey™ with Autism app has been made possible through a grant from Cox. For more information, visit www.emilycenter.org or follow on Twitter @emilycenter.