As April marks Autism Awareness Month, faculty in the Department of Media and Information are working to improve how mental health is assessed among autistic adolescents by redesigning screening tools to be more accessible, precise and inclusive.
Led by Celeste Campos-Castillo and Susan Bonner, associate professors in M&I, their project combines expertise in communication, health services and interactive design to reimagine the screening experience.
Faculty in the Department of Media and Information (M&I) are working to improve how mental health is assessed among autistic adolescents by redesigning screening tools to be more accessible, precise and inclusive.
While approximately one in five adolescents ages 12-19 experiences anxiety or depression, rates may be higher among autistic youth, who are more likely to experience bullying, social isolation and household instability. However, the true prevalence remains unclear because autistic adolescents are less likely to be screened and often face barriers when completing traditional assessments.
“The reason we don’t have a precise estimate is that, compared to their nonautistic peers, autistic adolescents are less likely to be screened for anxiety and depression, and when they are, we often see more variable responses,” Campos-Castillo said. “We need a better screening experience to help autistic adolescents get the supports they need.”
Rethinking how screening tools communicate
Commonly used mental health screeners, such as the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire, often rely on vague or complex language that can be difficult to interpret. Questions may include imprecise phrasing, combine multiple internal states or use response options that lack clarity.
Campos-Castillo and Bonner are applying principles of universal design to create a more accessible screening experience.
The redesigned tool presents one question at a time, includes audio recordings of each prompt and separates questions that address multiple concepts. It also incorporates visual and animated elements to clarify meaning and improve response accuracy.
“Autistic adolescents prefer precise language,” Campos-Castillo said. “We’re enhancing existing screeners by providing multiple ways to communicate the information so that it is clearer and more accessible.”
Bonner and Campos-Castillo co-direct the Transforming Tools Together Lab, which focuses on using entertainment and games to transform health care.
Co-designing with autistic adolescents
A central component of the project is its co-design approach, which involves autistic adolescents as active collaborators in shaping the tool.
Participants help develop visuals, audio and design elements that reflect their lived experiences, an approach that both researchers say is critical to the project’s success.
“Thanks to their creativity, we now view the transformed tool as a way for autistic adolescents to help explain the screeners to other autistic adolescents,” Campos-Castillo said.
Hands-on learning across disciplines
The project provides experiential learning opportunities for students across MSU. Undergraduate and graduate students from six colleges are involved in all stages of the work, from research and data analysis to design and production — including some students who are autistic themselves.
Students conduct interviews, analyze findings, test user experiences and produce multimedia content documenting the project. Many also work directly with autistic adolescents to co-create elements of the screening tool.
Camdyn Reiss, a graduate student in the Master of Science in User Experience program, joined the project after developing a similar concept in a gamification course taught by Bonner. The course focused on helping youth respond to negative peer pressure through interactive design.
After completing the course, Bonner invited him to contribute to the Transforming Tools Together Lab, where he supported user experience design for the screening tool.
“The labs and projects were very different from traditional class assignments,” Reiss said. “We were all working on different aspects of the same project and combining our ideas in ways that just aren’t very achievable in classes. The labs also involved many people outside of MSU, which helped me develop my interviewing and research skills even more.”
Expanding access to mental health support
Campos-Castillo and Bonner hope the project will lead to more effective and equitable mental health screening for autistic adolescents, helping ensure those who need support are accurately identified and connected to care.
“We hope this will transform the screening experience so that autistic adolescents who need support can get what they need,” Campos-Castillo said. “We also see this as a model for how the creativity of autistic adolescents can help solve problems through design.”
The project is supported by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation and several MSU programs, including the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation, Diversity Research Network, Honors College and the Office of Research and Innovation.
This story originally appeared on the College of Communication Arts and Sciences website.