Autism dating app

Dear RKJ,

I'm afraid that your post contravenes Community Rule 9:

"Requests for research study subjects and surveys need to be directed to research@nas.org.uk for data protection and research ethics reasons. Further information can be found on our research pages."

You can see the Community Rules here.

I am therefore locking this thread.

Regards,

Kerri-Mod

I think if you would create a poll here, it would be easier to answer to your questions.

Click Insert -> Insert Poll

Maybe I should add that as a question to my list of questions above... 

I really need help to understand what will work and won't work if the autistic community would like a dating tool (web or app). I'll be putting my own savings towards creating this, so I want to get it right. That's why I joined this community, to get your help, so if you have anything that you think would help me, that would be great :) 

I do not like small screens and apps. I only use them if I have no other choice.

For a dating website, I would strongly prefer a large screen.

Hi California, thanks for the response! I think most of the world turns to apps because people carry their phones on them, so the app is accessible anytime anywhere. Even if it were a website, my questions above would still be relevant - would you be so kind to answer them?

There's not many around where we live... But I understand your thoughts that meeting on common interests may be better.

I would love a nice partner.

I do not know how to find a good partner for me.

Wouldn't a website be a better thing?

I would prefer an excellent autism dating website.

Why are apps on small devices better than websites on larger screens?

I find the best way to meet people is to get involved with a special interest group - what are your son's hobbies?       The more nerdy interests seem to be heavily populated with aspies - Lego, model trains etc. so he's more likely to meet people on his wavelength.

There's also Meetup.com - people arranging local social events like pub nights, bowling, walks, meals out, visits to places etc.

Is your son in contact with any local ASD social groups?

Thanks Plastic. I totally agree. The hard work is not an issue for me, I'm not doing this to make money, I'm genuinely just trying to help a community IF they find it would actually help them. I hate the thought of my son growing up with struggling to meet people or thinking that he'll be alone all of his life. You're right about the personal data, but that would be handled in the personal data policy so people could read if their data was being used in any way. Also, there are recent laws that make data handling a top priority, such as GDPR.

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to promote an app, I'm trying to understand that if I work with the autistic community and build what they think will work for them, could it help them find life partners.

Hi - We have lots of people coming on the forum trying to promote their dating app ideas - the fact that there isn't one means it's a lot of work for very little return and there's no guarantee that anyone would use it anyway - especially if there's a financial burden.

Also - any dating app requires giving over large amounts of very personal data - so there's security concerns about how that data is used / handled / sold on / abused etc. - especially when dealing with vulnerable people.

Hi everyone,

So people may not feel comfortable as they do not know who I am etc. So to make this easier, I've posted a few questions below, I'd really appreciate your opinions. If it's not too much trouble, can you provide me with your views in this thread? 

Ultimately I want to build an app that will help this community, but I can't do that without your help.

Thanks for taking the time.

QUESTIONS:

1) Do you own a social media account such as facebook or instagram?

2) What is more important to you when searching for a potential partner online, is it looks or personality?

3) Do you need to know about the person's "disability" before you potentially meet them? (I hate the word 'disability')

4) What would make you want to use a dating app? What features should it have?

5) Are there any specific colours to avoid within the app for people with autism?

6) If you had a match in the app, are you comfortable messaging the person to ask them on a date?

7) Any other information or comments would be great.

If you like the idea of a dating app dedicated to people with autism, please please like this thread so I can see the level of interest.