#skillflix

*A note about language: In the post and in our presentation, we chose to use identity first language (ex: autistic person) rather than person-first language (ex: person with autism) based on feedback from our participants, advisors, and focus group members. Though this language is not yet standard in academic or professional spaces, there is significant evidence suggesting it is preferred by the majority of autistic young adults.

Check out our #YTHLive 2021 Presentation where we share the results and learnings from our first project to help build the relationship and independent living skills of autistic young adults.

With the help of an amazing cast of advisors, focus group participants, and actors, we developed 20 Microskill™ training videos to build relationship skills, such as how to deal with put-downs and how to give and ask for an apology.

We piloted the resource with 17 autistic young adults and saw a significant improvement (p=.000) in their skill usage in both skills from their pre-roleplay to their post roleplay. We also saw significant improvement (p=.001) in self-assessed skill level for two of our skills, giving and asking for an apology.

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to integrate all the amazing feedback we received from our participants into our Phase II study, which will include 150+ videos and a randomized controlled trial with 200 participants. This will include:

An emphasis on the celebration of autistic identities, the centering of autistic voices, and the use of concepts developed and supported by autism self-advocates.

Materials that do not pressure autistic individuals to behave neurotypically or suppress their autistic traits.

Videos on a broad range of relationship types including partners, coworkers, roommates, hook-ups, bosses, etc.

The addition of self-advocacy & activism skills, employment & educational skills, relationship transition skills, and skills for navigating power dynamics.

A set of videos intended to be viewed and discussed with neurotypical peers/family covering communication needs and ways to “meet in the middle.”

dfusion is Honored in 23rd Annual Digital Health Awards® Spring 2021 Session

dfusion of Scotts Valley, CA was selected as a gold medal winner in the 23rd annual Digital Health Awards® program. This competition – held each spring and fall – recognizes the world’s best digital health resources. The program is organized by the Health Information Resource Center (HIRC), a national clearing house for professionals who work in consumer health fields. dfusion’s entry – SkillFlix® for Parents IDD – received a Gold Award in the category “web-based digital health interactive content/rich media.”

SkillFlix for Parents IDD, a patented training technology, uses streaming video models to hone parents’ skills for communicating about healthy relationships and sex with their teens who have mild cognitive impairment and/or are on the autism spectrum. The ultra-short Microskills® videos model parent communication with teens who have reciprocal verbal communication skills.

“It’s an honor to have SkillFlix IDD chosen for a gold medal, the highest award, from more than 700 entries judged by a panel of distinguished experts in digital health media,” said Regina Firpo-Triplett, CEO of dfusion. dfusion builds upon science-based behavior change models and learning theories to facilitate behavior change for health, prevention, and adherence. Current scientific research on effectiveness guides development and adaptation of interventions for heightened relevance and impact.  

For more information:

SkillFlix IDD – www.dfusioninc.com/skillflix/

dfusion – www.dfusioninc.com

This May, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month became Sex Ed for All Month. Embraced by organizations the likes of Advocates for Youth, the Guttmacher Institute, Healthy Teen Network, Planned Parenthood, Power to Decide, SIECUS and others, this name change is in recognition that teens’ sexual health needs aren’t limited to pregnancy prevention and that all teens deserve to receive comprehensive sexual health education.

One group that has consistently been left out of the conversation when it comes to sexual health are those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For decades people have tended to think of those with disabilities as either nonsexual or hypersexual, and in either case they have received limited sexuality education if any at all. Sexuality is a universal part of the human experience, however, and this lack of education contributes to individuals with disabilities being at risk for the negative health outcomes associated with a lack of sexual health education: unintended pregnancy, STD infection, and sexual coercion and abuse. For this reason, it is critical that this vulnerable population of teens, like all teens, receive quality sexuality education both in and out of the classroom.

To that end, dfusion is happy to share that our work is focused on just that. We currently have two active projects in which we’re developing online resources to support and encourage parents of youth with intellectual and developments disabilities to start the ongoing conversation with their teens and preteens about relationships and sexuality. Building on our SkillFlix™ model that demonstrates how to perform skills using short video clips, we’re providing parents examples of how to start and continue these challenging conversations so they’ll feel prepared to do so.