How Online Apps Can Help Autistic Clients
In the field of CBT, working with autistic clients—especially those diagnosed later in life—requires sensitivity, adaptation, and tools that support both therapist and client. Recent guidance from the recent Practical CBT blog highlights ten key ways to enrich therapy for autistic adults: using strengths‐based framing, adapting thought‐records, structuring sessions, accommodating sensory/communication preferences, exploring masking, tailoring pacing, and more. Practical Therapy
Digital or online tools can be a powerful adjunct to in‐session work and homework when they are thoughtfully designed, flexible, and centred on the client’s needs. Below I explore how apps in general—and Flutura in particular—can help meet many of the adaptations recommended in that guidance.
What autistic clients often need in CBT
From Practical CBT’s “10 Ways to Support Autistic Clients in CBT” we can extract what features are especially helpful:
- Visual scaffolding, less reliance on abstract verbal processing. Practical Therapy
- Predictability and structure, but with flexibility (session agendas, pacing, check‐ins). Practical Therapy
- Sensory/communication accommodations (e.g. clear language, allowing processing time, use of written/visual summaries). Practical Therapy
- Explicit recognition of masking, self‐criticism, identity and strengths. Practical Therapy
- Homework that is manageable, relevant, tailored, and supports between‐session work without overwhelming. Practical Therapy
- Safety, autonomy, therapeutic alliance. Practical Therapy
What makes a good therapeutic app
Before diving into what Flutura provides, here are some desirable qualities in an app for autistic clients:
- Customisable prompts & reminders (so as not to overwhelm).
- Visual or alternative modalities (images, flowcharts, options rather than forced verbal work).
- Real‐time capture of thoughts/emotions (minimises delay, which can reduce accuracy and increase anxiety).
- Transparent and accessible tools: worksheets, psychoeducation, risk‐safety plans.
- Respect for privacy and control for the user (notifications, data sharing).
- Integration with clinician workflows: so therapy doesn’t become disjointed or more burdensome because of tech.
How Flutura supports autistic clients
Flutura is a CBT‐platform designed by therapists, for therapists, intended to reduce administrative burden, strengthen engagement, and deliver evidence‐based tools to clients. Key features especially relevant for autistic clients include:
| Feature | Benefit for autistic clients |
|---|---|
| Real‐time client engagement & thought/emotion/behaviour capture via mobile device Newsfile+1 | Helps reduce reliance on memory or delayed recall, which can be less reliable or more stressful. Allows the client to record sensory states or emotional reactions close to when they happen. |
| Evidence-based worksheets & psychoeducation library Newsfile+1 | Means clients can access visual and structured materials that align with CBT adaptations (e.g. concrete, scaffolded worksheets). Also supports revisiting strength assessments or self‐criticism work outside sessions. |
| Customisable notifications / gamification features (on/off, flexible prompts) Newsfile+1 | Allows client autonomy and reduces pressure. For someone who might be overwhelmed by frequent reminders, having control is critical. For others, gentle prompts help with between‐session work. |
| Safety plans & risk management tools Newsfile | For clients who have high emotional reactivity, suicidality, or self‐harm risk, having these tools accessible is important. Also helps therapist/client feel safer when working remotely or in between sessions. |
| Reduced admin / streamlined therapist workflows Newsfile+1 | Frees up therapist time for adapting sessions (e.g. more behavioural experiments or experiential work), tailoring pacing, or addressing masking / identity work, rather than getting bogged down in paperwork. |
How Flutura helps bridge gaps in the 10 Ways framework
Here’s a brief mapping of how many of Practical CBT’s recommendations are supported (or could be supported) by using Flutura:
| Practical CBT Recommendation | How Flutura helps or can help |
|---|---|
| Adapt Thought Records / Cognitive Restructuring (more concrete, visual, etc.) | Flutura’s worksheets can be designed in concrete, scaffolded formats. The client can upload entries with less reliance on verbal abstraction; real‐time capture helps. |
| Strengths Assessment Early & Regularly | Psychoeducation and strength‐focused tools in the library can be used often, clients can revisit, track growth. |
| Structure & Predictability with Flexibility | Agenda setting, reminders, flexible homework assignments; therapists can adapt how much between‐session work is required. |
| Sensory & Communication Adaptations | Clients may prefer visual forms; being able to write rather than speak; control over notifications helps with sensory/attention overload. |
| Masking / Self-criticism work & autonomy | Tools like safety plans, worksheets about self‐identity/values can be accessed privately; client control over what to share; templates for self‐criticism/cognitive restructuring. |
| Tailored Pacing & Session Length | Between‐session tools let clients work at their pace. Therapist can monitor engagement to decide how much to ask between sessions. |
| Therapeutic Alliance & Autonomy | Because Flutura is designed with therapist input, and has customizable features, it allows for negotiation with clients. Also transparent tools and sessions. |
Potential pitfalls / what to watch out for
While Flutura (and apps like it) have lots of potential, here are some cautions to keep in mind especially with autistic clients:
- Overwhelm from digital tools: Even well-intended apps can feel like yet another demand; need to monitor clients’ stress or avoidance triggered by tech.
- One‐size‐fits-all risk: Even with customisation, some clients will prefer minimal features. Must always ask what works, tailor accordingly.
- Accessibility: For clients with sensory sensitivities (light, sound), or motor or visual issues, app design should support accessibility (font sizes, contrast, etc.).
- Privacy & trust: Ensuring the client trusts the platform, understands what happens to their data.
- Integration with face-to-face work: Digital tools should complement, not replace, the human relational aspects which are especially important for building safety, self‐identity, unmasking.
Case vignette (hypothetical)
Here’s how Flutura might make a difference in practice:
“Anna”, age 35, recently diagnosed with autism. She struggles with remembering emotional triggers after the fact, feels exhausted by verbal thought records, and often postpones homework because it feels abstract and hard to begin.
With Flutura, Anna is able to use her phone to capture moments when she feels overwhelmed during the day—writing a few lines, choosing from visual prompts (“What did I notice? What was happening around me? What did I feel?”).She uses worksheets from the library with visual scaffolding, and works with her therapist to customise how often she gets reminders (e.g. 1 per day, rather than more). She also has safety plans and coping strategies accessible in the app for intense moments.
Over time, she sees small wins: noticing patterns, being able to plan accommodations before a session, feeling more in control of her between‐session work. Her therapist notices less time spent chasing up forgotten homework, and more time in session exploring her strengths, masking, identity.
Conclusion
Online apps like Flutura offer great promise in helping autistic clients get more out of CBT. When designed with the right flexibility, tools, respect for autonomy, and sensitivity to sensory & communication differences, these technologies can:
- lighten the load for both therapist and client,
- make homework / between‐session work more accessible,
- help clients track growth and notice strengths,
- give therapists back space for more attended, creative, and relationship-building work.
In sum: Flutura isn’t a substitute for the adaptations described in Practical CBT’s “10 Ways”, but it can be a strong ally—helping make those adaptations more sustainable, consistent, and experience-rich. Because for many autistic clients, what matters isn’t just what CBT does, but how and when it is delivered.
Practical Therapy 