My son was diagnosed with autism about a year ago. He’s six.
A year in, and we’re still learning. Every week brings something we didn’t expect and weren’t prepared for. That’s not a complaint, it’s just the reality. The support systems that exist are genuinely good, but they’re stretched, and the gaps between sessions, appointments, and school support plans are real.
So we started building things at home. Personalised tools. Ones that fit him specifically — his interests, his language, his world.
Three tools. About an hour to set up. All free or low-cost.
This week was World Autism Acceptance Day. I could have written about statistics and awareness. I’d rather give you something you can actually use.
Here’s exactly what we built and how you can do the same.
What we’re covering (and what we’re not)
This isn’t a clinical guide. I’m not a therapist, a SENCO, or a medical professional. I’m a parent figuring this out in real time, with a background in IT project management and too much time spent talking to AI chatbots.
These tools don’t replace the professionals in your child’s life. They fill the gaps: at home, at the weekend, at 2am when you need something that works right now.
You’ll need access to Google Gemini (free tier works) and ChatGPT (free tier works for the custom GPT). That’s it.
Tool 1: A personalised social story
What it is
A social story is a short narrative that helps a child understand a situation, a feeling, or a social rule in terms they can relate to. The evidence base for them is solid. The problem is that generic ones don’t always land. A story about “going to the supermarket” hits differently when it uses your child’s actual language and interests.
We built one using Google Gemini.
How to do it
Go to Google Gemini (gemini.google.com) and open a new Gem. A Gem is essentially a saved project with custom instructions. Think of it as a version of Gemini that knows what you’re trying to do and who you’re trying to help.
Set it up as a storybook assistant. In the instructions, tell it:
- Your child’s name and age
- Their interests (be specific: not just “Minecraft” but what they love about it)
- The situation or concept you want to explain
- The tone (supportive, not pitying; confident, not worried)
Then prompt it to write the story. Gemini will produce text and, with the right prompt, pixel-art or voxel-style illustrations that match your child’s interests.
What came out for us used Minecraft metaphors to explain how his brain works differently. He got it immediately. That’s the whole point.
You can iterate. If a page doesn’t land, tell it what to change. If the art style is wrong, prompt it. You can export as a PDF, print it, or play it as audio.
What this solves
Explaining abstract concepts (feelings, transitions, social rules) in language your child actually processes. It won’t work for every child or every situation, but when it lands, it really lands.
Tool 2: Emotion regulation cards
What it is
When a child is overwhelmed, words often aren’t available. An emotion chart gives them something to point at. A set of flashcards gives them something to hold.
The standard ones you find online are fine. The personalised ones are better.
How to do it
Still in Gemini, use the image generation tool to create an emotion chart themed around your child’s interests. Give it the theme, the emotions you want to include (we used green, yellow, red, and blue zones), and ask it to include simple coping strategies for each.
Then prompt it to generate a set of flashcards based on the chart. These are printable, cuttable, and sized to fit small hands.
The output won’t be perfect first time. The image generation tool responds well to specific prompts: “Lego minifigure style”, “simple, clear faces”, “bright colours on white background”. Iterate until it looks like something your child would actually engage with.
What this solves
Non-verbal communication in high-stress moments. A way for your child to tell you how they’re feeling when they can’t say it. Also useful as a reference point for calm conversations about feelings when things are going well.
Tool 3: A custom GPT for parents
What it is
This one isn’t for your child. It’s for you.
A Custom GPT is a version of ChatGPT set up with specific instructions, context, and knowledge. Think of it as a research assistant that knows your child’s situation.
This is the 2am tool. For questions that don’t wait. For when you’ve had a hard week and need to think something through with something that knows the background.
How to do it
In ChatGPT, go to “Explore GPTs” and select “Create”. You’ll be prompted to give it a name, a description, and instructions.
For the instructions, use ChatGPT itself to help you write them. Tell it you’re creating a custom GPT to help a parent of an autistic child and ask it to generate a set of instructions. Copy those in.
Then add your knowledge files. We added:
- An anonymised version of our son’s autism assessment report. Remove any identifying information before uploading anything to an external platform.
- A set of research papers on supporting autistic children in primary school settings. We found these using Elicit AI (elicit.com), which searches scientific literature. You can download the PDFs for most studies.
Add conversation starters for the questions you know you’ll keep asking. These appear as clickable buttons when you open the GPT.
Set the privacy to private or link-only. Do not publish it to the GPT store if it contains anything personal.
What this solves
The information gap. The late-night spiral. The “I’ve read a dozen things and can’t remember any of them” problem. Having something that knows your child’s specifics and can help you think through a question is different from googling at midnight.
It’s not a therapist. It will occasionally be wrong. Treat its output as a starting point for a conversation with a professional, not a substitute for one.
The reality check
We’re a year into this. Some of these tools work consistently. Some work sometimes. Some I’ve had to rebuild because a platform updated something and the output changed.
Being prepared always trumps having to react with a tool. When your child is having a tough moment, reaching for your phone isn’t going to help. Use them to proactively get ahead of issue as best you can.
None of this is finished. None of it is perfect. What it is, is practical. Something you can do this weekend if you want to try it.
The prompts from the video are going out in this week’s newsletter. Sign up below if you want them.
And if you’re a parent of a neurodivergent child, what’s the one thing you wish AI could actually help with? Drop it in the comments. I’m genuinely asking.
If this was useful, check out my other AI Education content
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