Introduction
The transition to adulthood represents an important stage in the lives of autistic people. Contrary to popular belief, autism does not disappear in adulthood, and the needs for support and cognitive stimulation remain essential throughout life.
Autistic adults can present very varied cognitive profiles. Some are independent and professionally integrated, while others require more sustained support. In all cases, maintaining and developing cognitive functions is crucial to preserving autonomy, quality of life, and well-being.
Tablet applications represent valuable tools for this support. They offer a structured, predictable, and adaptable framework that aligns well with the characteristics of autistic people. Moreover, they allow for regular cognitive training at home, thus complementing professional support.
In this in-depth article, we explore the specific cognitive needs of autistic adults, the types of suitable applications, and how programs like COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES, along with other solutions developed by DYNSEO, can contribute to maintaining cognitive functions on a daily basis.
Understanding the Cognitive Needs of Autistic Adults
Cognitive Aging in Autism
Unlike children who are in full development, adults face different challenges:
Maintenance of Skills: The main goal is no longer necessarily to acquire new skills but to preserve those already developed. Without regular stimulation, certain abilities may decline.
Prevention of Decline: As with anyone, aging is accompanied by natural cognitive changes. For autistic adults, these changes may sometimes be more pronounced or affect certain functions differently.
Adaptation to Life Changes: End of schooling, entry into professional life or institutions, family changes… These transitions require adaptation skills and cognitive flexibility.
Management of Autonomy: Maintaining executive functions (planning, organization, problem-solving) is essential for daily autonomy.
Persistent Cognitive Characteristics
Many cognitive characteristics observed in autistic children persist into adulthood:
Cognitive Strengths:
- Excellent visual memory for details
- Ability for intense concentration on areas of interest
- Logical and systematic thinking
- Often remarkable visuospatial skills
- Loyalty to routines and procedures
- Cognitive flexibility (difficulty adapting to changes)
- Executive functions (planning, multitasking organization)
- Working memory (maintaining and temporarily manipulating information)
- Generalization of learning to new contexts
- Rapid processing of complex social information
- Variety of exercises to avoid boredom
- Adaptable progression according to level
- Positive and encouraging feedback
- Clear and intuitive interface
- Absence of stressful time pressure
- Overall maintenance of cognitive abilities
- Regular and structured stimulation
- Ability to track progress
- Independence in use
- Reduction of anxiety related to organization
- Gaining independence
- Reassuring predictability
- Strengthening executive functions
- Facilitation of communication
- Reduction of frustration
- Greater social participation
- Increased independence
- Better management of stress and anxiety
- Self-regulation tools accessible at any time
- Prevention of sensory overload crises
- Improvement of overall well-being
- “Top memory”: Memory for visual memory
- “Order of passage”: Memorization of sequences
- “In the right order”: Reproduction of precise orders
- “Quick quick quick”: Selective attention and speed
- “Where is it?”: Visual search, sustained attention
- “The right count”: Counting accurately, attention to details
- “Find the sequence”: Completion of logical sequences
- “Similar”: Identification of similarities and differences
- “Puzzles”: Spatial reconstruction
- “Labyrinths”: Spatial navigation
- “Puzzles”: Spatial organization
- “Tangram”: Mental manipulation of shapes
- Multiple games requiring planning, strategy, and flexibility
- The transition to adulthood
- The challenges of autonomy
- Maintaining cognitive functions
- Social and professional life
- Tools and adapted strategies
- Guide to Support Autistic Adults: Concrete strategies, practical advice, testimonials
- Guide to Support Autistic Children: Although focused on children, contains information on the fundamentals of autism applicable to all ages
- Applications are complementary tools, not isolated solutions
- The autonomy and self-determination of the adult must be respected
- A holistic approach including cognitive stimulation, physical activity, social life, and well-being is ideal
- Each autistic adult is unique with their own needs and preferences
- Regularity and kindness are the keys to success
- Discover COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES
- Download the free guide to support autistic adults
- Consult the guide to support autistic children
- Train in supporting autistic individuals
Possible Challenges:
The Importance of Continuous Cognitive Stimulation
Maintaining regular cognitive stimulation has many benefits:
Preservation of Abilities: Regular cognitive training keeps neural connections active and can even create new ones through neuroplasticity.
Improvement of Autonomy: Preserved cognitive functions allow for greater independence in daily activities.
Psychological Well-Being: Feeling competent, making progress, and overcoming challenges boosts self-esteem and morale.
Prevention of Isolation: Structured cognitive activities offer reassuring routines and moments of engagement that combat isolation.
Quality of Life: Ultimately, maintaining cognitive abilities directly contributes to a better overall quality of life.
Cognitive Functions to Stimulate in Autistic Adults
Memory in All Its Forms
Working Memory: The ability to maintain and temporarily manipulate information. Essential for following a conversation, understanding instructions, managing a budget, cooking…
Long-Term Memory: Preserving personal memories, acquired knowledge, learned procedures. Important for identity and autonomy.
Prospective Memory: Remembering to perform planned future actions (taking medication, going to an appointment). Crucial for autonomy.
Attention and Concentration
Sustained Attention: The ability to maintain concentration on a task for an extended period. Necessary for work, leisure activities, social interactions.
Selective Attention: Filtering distractions and focusing on relevant information. Particularly important in stimulus-rich environments.
Shared Attention: Managing multiple sources of information simultaneously. Useful in many daily and professional situations.
Executive Functions
Planning and Organization: The ability to organize activities, plan the necessary steps to achieve a goal. Fundamental for autonomy.
Cognitive flexibility: Adapting behavior in response to changes, switching from one task to another. Often a challenge for autistic people but manageable.
Inhibitory control: Resisting impulses, filtering inappropriate automatic responses. Important for social adaptation.
Problem-solving: Analyzing a situation, generating solutions, choosing the best one. A valuable skill for dealing with the unexpected.
Visuospatial skills
Spatial orientation: Navigating in space, reading maps, understanding plans. Useful for independent mobility.
Mental manipulation: Visualizing and mentally manipulating objects. A skill often strong in autistic individuals, to be valued.
Visual attention: Quickly spotting, identifying, and processing visual information. Constantly required in the modern environment.
Reasoning and logic
Logical reasoning: Deducting, inducing, identifying patterns. Often a strength in autistic individuals.
Mental calculation: Basic numerical skills essential for financial independence.
Sequencing: Understanding and respecting the order of steps. Important for daily and professional routines.
Types of Applications Suitable for Autistic Adults
Global cognitive stimulation applications
These applications offer a set of exercises targeting different cognitive functions. They are ideal for regular and comprehensive training.
Essential features:
Benefits:
COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES, although originally designed for children, is perfectly suitable for autistic adults with a similar cognitive level. Sports breaks are beneficial at any age for sensory regulation and brain oxygenation.
Daily management and organization applications
These tools help structure daily life and develop independence:
Visual schedules: Timetables illustrated with pictograms, customizable reminders, daily/weekly view.
Routine applications: Sequencing daily tasks (getting up, dressing, taking medication) with step-by-step validation.
Task lists: Managing shopping, household chores, administrative tasks with the ability to check off as you go.
Visual timers: Assisting time management with a visual representation of time passing.
Benefits:
Communication applications
For autistic adults with verbal communication difficulties:
AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication): Communication boards with pictograms, speech synthesis.
Emotion translators: Applications helping to identify and express emotions.
Social scripts: Illustrated social scenarios to prepare for certain situations (medical appointments, job interviews).
Benefits:
Applications for sensory and emotional regulation
These tools help manage sensory overload and anxiety:
Relaxation applications: Guided breathing, meditations, visualizations.
Emotional thermometers: Tools to identify emotional states and choose calming strategies.
White noise and soothing music: Masking disturbing noises, creating a reassuring sound environment.
Anti-stress games: Simple and repetitive activities that soothe (coloring, popping virtual bubbles).
Benefits:
Criteria for Choosing an Application for Autistic Adults
1. Adaptation to cognitive level
Autistic adults have very varied cognitive profiles. The application must match the user’s actual level:
Multiple levels: Ability to adjust difficulty for an optimal challenge without frustration.
Individualized progression: The application adapts to the user’s performance rather than following a rigid program.
No infantilizing content: Even if the cognitive level is lower, the aesthetics and themes must respect adulthood.
2. Accessible interface
The interface must be intuitive and accessible:
Clear navigation: Simple menus, obvious paths, few simultaneous choices.
Explicit instructions: Clear instructions, ideally accompanied by visual aids.
Contrast and readability: Readable texts, contrasting colors, adjustable font size.
Understandable feedback: Immediate and clear responses to actions taken.
3. Respect for sensory particularities
Autistic adults may have persistent sensory sensitivities:
Volume control: Ability to adjust or mute sound.
Brightness adjustment: Adaptation according to visual sensitivity.
Moderable animations: Ability to reduce or disable stimulating visual effects.
Absence of advertisements: No pop-ups or intrusive disturbing content.
4. Predictability and structure
Autistic individuals appreciate predictability:
Usage routine: Clear and consistent structure from session to session.
Visible progression: Knowing where one stands, how many exercises are left, what the next step is.
Automatic saving: Not losing progress in case of interruption.
Visual consistency: Consistent use of the same color codes, icons, layouts.
5. Possible autonomous use
The application should allow for autonomous use:
Clear tutorials: Initial explanations to learn how to use the application.
Progressive autonomy: Ability to use it alone once familiarized.
Accessibility: Easily available on the tablet without needing help for each use.
Support in case of difficulty: Accessible help if needed without leaving the application.
6. Progress tracking
To maintain motivation and allow for optimal support:
Detailed statistics: Visualization of performance and progress.
History: Tracking over time of different sessions.
Possible sharing: Ability to export or share data with caregivers or professionals.
Positive reinforcement: Reward system, badges, or other motivating elements.
COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES for Autistic Adults
A natural adaptation of the program
Although COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES was initially designed for children, it proves perfectly suitable for autistic adults, particularly those with mild to moderate cognitive levels.
Why COCO is suitable for autistic adults?
Clear and non-patronizing interface: The graphics are colorful and attractive without being childish. The instructions are simple and direct.
Three levels of difficulty: Level 3 offers challenging tasks even for adults with good cognitive abilities.
Variety of activities: More than 30 different games keep interest over the long term.
Beneficial sports breaks: At any age, alternating cognitive activities and physical movements is beneficial for regulation, cerebral circulation, and well-being.
Absence of stressful time pressure: The games respect everyone’s pace.
Autonomous use: After a learning phase, the adult can use COCO alone, reinforcing their autonomy.
The cognitive functions targeted
COCO stimulates all important cognitive functions:
Memory:
Attention and concentration:
Logic and reasoning:
Visuospatial functions:
Executive functions:
The innovation of sports breaks for adults
The COCO MOVES system is not only beneficial for children:
For autistic adults, active breaks offer:
Sensory regulation: Movement helps regulate the nervous system, release accumulated tension, and manage sensory overload.
Cerebral oxygenation: Physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, improving cognitive performance.
Stress management: Movement is an excellent outlet for anxiety and stress.
Prevention of sedentariness: In a world where many autistic adults spend a lot of time sitting, these breaks encourage physical activity.
Temporal structure : Breaks every 15 minutes create a reassuring and predictable structure.
Limiting screen time : Even adults benefit from moderate screen use.
The proposed activities (jumps, stretches, dance movements, animal imitation) can be adapted to each adult’s motor abilities.
Personalization and monitoring
COCO offers important features for support:
Individual profiles : Creation of personalized profiles with tailored settings.
Choice of games : Ability to select favorite games or those targeting specific functions to work on.
Detailed monitoring : Performance statistics allowing tracking of progress and identifying areas needing more work.
Sharing with caregivers : Data can be accessed by family or professional caregivers to coordinate support.
Integrating Applications into Daily Life
Creating a usage routine
For the use of an application to be beneficial in the long term, it must fit into a routine:
Fixed schedule : Using the application at the same time each day creates a temporal reference and facilitates engagement.
Dedicated space : A quiet and comfortable place associated with this activity.
Defined duration : Start with short sessions (15-30 minutes) and adjust according to preferences and abilities.
Beginning and end ritual : Small recurring actions signaling the start and end of the session.
Encouraging gradual autonomy
The goal is for the autistic adult to use the application independently:
Accompanied learning phase : At first, the caregiver guides and explains how it works.
Gradual reduction of support : Little by little, the adult makes more decisions and takes initiatives.
Total autonomy : The adult can use the application alone whenever they wish.
Valuing autonomy : Praise and positively reinforce this independence.
Combining with other activities
The application should not be the only cognitive stimulation:
Practical activities : Cooking, DIY, gardening engage cognitive functions in a concrete way.
Board games : Social moments that are cognitively stimulating.
Physical activities : Sports, walking, swimming for overall well-being.
Creative activities : Drawing, music, writing for other forms of expression.
Social interactions : Conversations, outings, participation in groups or clubs.
Adapting according to reactions
Each autistic adult is unique:
Observing preferences : Some games will be more appreciated than others, this is normal.
Respecting refusals : If one day the adult does not want to use the application, do not force it.
Adjusting difficulty : If too easy or too difficult, modify the level to maintain engagement.
Celebrating progress : Recognize and value improvements, even small ones.
Being flexible : The routine can adapt according to events and the person’s state.
Training to Better Support Autistic Adults
The importance of specific training
Supporting an autistic adult in using digital tools and maintaining their cognitive functions requires a specific understanding of their needs.
Although DYNSEO primarily offers a training program to support autistic children, many principles also apply to adults.
Additionally, DYNSEO provides a specific guide for supporting autistic adults that covers:
Important themes for adult support
Understanding autism in adulthood : Particularities persist but manifest differently. Support needs evolve but do not disappear.
Respecting self-determination : The autistic adult, even with cognitive difficulties, must be involved in decisions regarding them. Their preferences and choices must be respected.
Promoting autonomy : The goal is always to maximize independence as much as possible, with appropriate supports.
Maintaining cognitive abilities : Understanding the importance of regular stimulation and knowing how to use appropriate tools like COCO.
Managing transitions : Changes (end of studies, new housing, job change) can be particularly destabilizing and require specific support.
Interprofessional collaboration : Working as a team with various professionals (educators, psychologists, occupational therapists) for a coherent approach.
Additional resources
In addition to training, free resources are available:
These guides complement the use of applications and provide a comprehensive view of support.
Beyond Applications: A Holistic Approach
The Importance of Varied Stimulation
Applications are excellent tools but should not be the only source of stimulation:
Daily Living Activities: Shopping, cooking, cleaning, administrative management… These daily activities naturally engage cognitive functions.
Social Interactions: Conversations, board games, group outings maintain social and cognitive skills.
Physical Activities: Regular physical exercise improves cognitive functions, mood, and overall health.
Leisure Activities: Hobbies, passions, interests allow for intrinsically motivated cognitive engagement.
Continuous Learning: Learning new things (a language, an instrument, a skill) keeps the brain active.
The Role of the Environment
An adapted environment facilitates the maintenance of cognitive functions:
Structured Environment: Predictable routines, clear spatial organization, visual cues.
Appropriate Sensory Stimulation: Neither too rich nor too poor, tailored to individual sensitivities.
Social Support: Presence of positive and supportive relationships.
Opportunities for Autonomy: Possibilities to make choices and manage certain aspects of one’s life.
Access to Suitable Tools: Tablet, applications, visual supports, technical aids according to needs.
The Importance of Overall Well-Being
Cognitive functions are not isolated from the rest of the person:
Physical Health: Sufficient sleep, balanced diet, regular physical activity support cognitive abilities.
Mental Health: Managing stress and anxiety, preventing depression are crucial.
Social Life: Social interactions, even if sometimes difficult, are important for well-being and cognitive stimulation.
Meaning and Engagement: Having meaningful activities, social roles, projects gives purpose to life and motivates the preservation of abilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are applications designed for children suitable for autistic adults?
It depends on the cognitive level of the adult and the aesthetics of the application. COCO, for example, although designed for children, has a sufficiently neutral aesthetic and high enough difficulty levels to suit adults. The important thing is that the content is not infantilizing and that the difficulty is appropriate.
How often should a cognitive stimulation application be used?
The ideal is regular use, 3 to 5 times a week, in sessions of 15 to 30 minutes. Consistency is more important than duration. A short daily practice is more beneficial than a long weekly session.
My loved one refuses to use the application, what should I do?
Never force. Try to understand the reason: is the interface too complex? Are the games too difficult or too easy? Is there sensory overload? Perhaps the timing is not right. Adjust the settings, suggest another time, or try a different application. Consent and enjoyment are essential.
Can cognitive functions really be maintained or is decline inevitable?
Research clearly shows that regular cognitive stimulation maintains and can even improve certain abilities at any age. The brain retains its plasticity (the ability to create new connections) throughout life. While some decline is natural with age, appropriate stimulation slows this process and can compensate for certain deficits.
How can I tell if the application is beneficial?
Observe several indicators: does the adult use the application with pleasure? Are there visible improvements in the games (improved scores, moving to higher levels)? Do you notice improvements in daily life (better memory, greater attention, easier problem-solving)? Do professionals who support the person note positive changes?
Can the use of applications replace professional support?
No, never. Applications are complementary tools that enrich professional support but do not replace it. The ideal is collaboration: professionals assess, define goals, propose overall strategies; applications allow for regular practice at home; and observed progress informs professionals to adjust their interventions.
My loved one always prefers the same games, is that a problem?
Not necessarily. Repetition is reassuring for autistic individuals and can be beneficial. If these favorite games work on certain cognitive functions, that’s positive. However, for complete stimulation, try to gently introduce variety by alternating: “We’ll play your favorite game, then a new one, then back to your favorite.”
Conclusion
The maintenance of cognitive functions in autistic adults is a major issue for autonomy, quality of life, and well-being. Tablet applications represent valuable, accessible, and adaptable tools that complement professional support.
Programs like COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES, although initially designed for children, prove to be perfectly suited for autistic adults thanks to:
✓ Clear and accessible interface without being infantilizing
✓ Three levels of difficulty for adaptation to cognitive profiles
✓ Variety of games targeting all important cognitive functions
✓ Beneficial sports breaks for regulation and well-being at any age
✓ Possible autonomous use reinforcing independence
✓ Detailed tracking to objectify progress and coordinate with professionals
Beyond the tool itself, informed support is fundamental. The DYNSEO training and the guide for supporting autistic adults provide you with the keys to optimize this support.
It is important to remember that:
Aging with autism does not mean an inevitable decline. With the right tools, the right support, and regular stimulation, autistic adults can maintain and even develop their cognitive abilities throughout their lives.
To go further:
Every autistic adult deserves appropriate, respectful, and caring support that recognizes their strengths, supports their challenges, and allows them to live their life to the fullest with the best possible cognitive abilities.
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This article was written by the DYNSEO team, specialized in digital solutions for cognitive well-being and support for individuals with special needs at all stages of life.