Big Feelings
A personalized emotional learning app designed for children (ages 3-8) with autism, helping them recognise and manage their emotions
One in 100 children worldwide are diagnosed with autism, and nearly half of them struggle to identify and describe emotions in themselves and others. Many existing social-emotional learning (SEL) programs and apps take a "one-size-fits-all" approach, which is often based on neurotypical expectations rather than the needs of autistic children.
Devon Ramey, a researcher at Queen’s University Belfast wanted to create a personalized, interactive solution that would help young autistic children build self-awareness and manage emotions effectively.
Developed using Cogniss, Big Feelings is an innovative app that helps autistic children (ages 3-8) identify, express, and manage emotions through a personalized approach. By allowing children to interact with real-world images and scenarios, Big Feelings supports self-awareness, emotional regulation, and social decision-making.
Key features
Capability to upload photos of themselves displaying various emotions to teach self-awareness and recognition.
Tailored techniques for managing big emotions.
Choice-based scenarios to practice social awareness and decision-making
A dedicated SOS feature connects children to calming strategies.
Building a research-backed, interactive learning app in a short timeframe required a flexible, no-code platform. Cogniss made it possible to prototype Big Feelings in just four weeks, without requiring traditional development resources.
“There was a learning curve with Cogniss at first, but once I got the hang of it, app development became so much easier and faster. The platform is enabling me to create an engaging intervention for kids with autism. Without it, I would’ve had to rely on older methods, like flashcards, which aren’t scalable.”
— Dr. Devon Ramey, Lecturer & Researcher, Queen’s University Belfast
Want to develop a self-help intervention of your own? Speak to our team to discuss possibilities with Cogniss or to get started with a free trial.