Date Published: August 28, 2025

How can digital tools help caregivers, educators, and families provide calm, connected, and collaborative care for autistic children and youth — right when and where it’s needed? In this recorded webinar, Dr. Heather Nuske shares her work on the development and testing of three innovative digital tools — KeepCalm, Footsteps, and Pletly — designed to support high-quality autism care in real-world settings.

Co-developed with community partners, these tools are built to equip providers with in-the-moment strategies to support emotional regulation, enhance collaboration between families and professionals, and promote readiness to learn and engage. Dr. Nuske will share key lessons from the research and design process, early evidence of effectiveness, and insights into how digital mental health technologies can bridge gaps in care and foster better outcomes for autistic individuals across home, school, and community settings.

Who is Heather Nuske?

Heather Nuske, Ph.D.’s research is dedicated to using digital mental health technology to support the implementation of evidence-based practices to support mental health and wellbeing in children, with a focus on autistic children, inspired by her three brothers on the autism spectrum. She is particularly interested in measuring and supporting emotion regulation, using digital mental health platforms combined with wearable biosensing, and on social and emotional learning programs and mindfulness-based approaches. Dr. Nuske uses community-partnered participatory research and user-centered design methods, and conducts mixed-method randomized controlled trials to answer implementation- and efficacy/effectiveness-related questions in service of making and measuring real-life positive impacts for children.