Published on 12, July, 2020
I have been running a small group of academics for suicide prevention in autism for a few months now and I feel we may get something useful. Included in the group are Prof Simon Baron Cohen and Sara Cassidy. We share ideas , but I seem to be coming up with the major ones.
there’s a group of autistic people which has met to discuss this and concluded we are never taken seriously, drugs are pretty useless, psychiatrists response is poor and inappropriate.
I have been trying for funding and help to have an autistic arm to the Stay Alive app. The app seems well researched and well supported
We could include a Database studying online suicidal ideation in Autism as well as specific routes of advice.
my big idea is to have an Alexa type artificial intelligence system to offer an online reply consultation with the computer. No humans involved as I have found Samaritans etc, kind but always avoid advice.
This system could give research based advice as my experience of mental health services are thats they are terrible with suicidal ideation in autism
what do you think?
I used the Stay Alive app last year. I put pictures of my parents on it, but the sad thing is they won't be around forever and one day I won't have much of a reason to keep on going.
I found Samaritans gave me very cookie cutter copy and paste advice which made me feel worse because of how impersonal it was, I really felt that nobody cared after contacting them. I probably need some real 1on1 therapy from an actual person who gets to know me and my issues. I am not sure an AI could suffice in that regard, because it is the idea that somebody cares that you really need.
Having tried to use chat bots on websites for various services, they are hopeless at finding what you need and only able to regurgitate stock responses based on keywords.
I thought that a person's problem could be sent to all on "the panel" and then answers given from each of the types of responses. Responders could vote for which ever response they feel is best
Please don't make it a "smartphone only" app!
For some of us (admittedly not many, these days.) a phone is just a phone, a watch is just a watch, and you access the internet using a device with a big screen and fast & reliable data rates called a computer, otherwise it isn't worth doing.