The Tellmi Autism Study

Tellmi is pleased to announce that we have been funded, by the Government's Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) to develop the Tellmi app for autistic children and young people. 

Tellmi is the only 100% pre-moderated, anonymous peer support and psychoeducation app that is safe for children aged 11+.  Studies of peer support have shown promise for autistic people (Crane, 2021) and 16% of Tellmi users are autistic (Tellmi, 2022). 

Working in partnership with The Autism Research Centre and the Autism Centre for Excellence at the University of  Cambridge, this funding will allow Tellmi to interrogate 3,555 posts and replies made by autistic users to get a deeper understanding of what really matters to them. We are also keen to find out why Tellmi is such a popular support solution for autistic young people.

Data analysis will inform a survey and a series of interviews which will help us to tailor the app to better meet the needs of our autistic users. Autism screening tools which have been developed by the Autism Research Centre will also be integrated into the app to facilitate the pathway towards earlier diagnosis. 

The research is important because autistic young people have much higher rates of mental illness than neurotypical peers. One in four autistic children and young people experience suicidal ideation and almost one in ten attempt suicide (O’Halloran, 2020). Although it is a recognised priority for the NHS Long Term Plan, the UK currently has no universal autism-specific mental healthcare pathway, and access to autism-specialist mental healthcare is insubstantial. 

The Tellmi app has been independently evaluated and is evidenced to improve mental health in children and young people (Ravaccia, 2022). Tellmi has supported 75,000+ young people and is commissioned by the NHS. If you are interested in learning more about Tellmi and the Autism Study or would like access to the app please contact Suzi Godson - suzi@tellmi.help