As a person living with autism and ADHD, I know how difficult it can be to keep track of everything that life throws at us. I'm always looking for ways to make life easier, and was cautiously excited when I learned about the Mariko project through the association's newsletter.
For me, keeping track of all the important tasks and obligations can easily become overwhelming. When I was younger, I found it very difficult to stay organized and know what and when to do what. I often felt stupid and was afraid to ask for help. It felt hopeless and depressing.
I've probably tried most of the apps out there and many are really good, but there's always something missing. Probably because they are not actually built for and by people with NPF...
When I got the opportunity to help the team developing Mariko, and it was appreciated that I was a real "pain in the ass" 😉 I felt a glimmer of hope for the first time in a long time. I am now testing both design and functions. It feels very fun even if there is a long way to make it perfect🙂 At least I have the opportunity to influence the development.
When I first started testing Mariko, I got quite tired of seeing how many activities and tasks I had to do every day. Honestly, I got quite stressed seeing the long list that we wrote down in Mariko. When we started to organize the activities in different areas that could be opened and closed like doors, it started to become really clear. After dividing the day into different areas, we timed everything, and in the last step we prioritized what was most important to do first. It's so good to be able to show only the priorities when needed. It makes it much easier for me to see what needs to be done and when it needs to be done.
To summarize
For me, Mariko's main goal is to help me prioritize what is important. It does this by organizing, planning and prioritizing tasks and commitments. For example, Mariko categorizes my tasks into different areas or contexts as they call it, such as "studies", "work", "family", "finances", etc. This way I can easily find different activities and tasks. It makes it easier to focus.
In addition, Mariko also helps me plan my day. It gives me a daily schedule that I can use to make sure I stay on track. This is particularly useful when I have several different activities that need to be done at a particular time during the day. It also helps me to stay focused and stick to my tasks, as I can easily go back to my schedule and make sure I do what I need to do. A really cool thing is that I can indicate how much energy different tasks give or take and that I see a summary of individual activities, areas and the whole day.
I have also tried the mentor chat. I can get personal support, ask questions and get tips when things go wrong during the day. Very convenient. This is particularly useful when I feel overwhelmed or stuck in a particular task. The mentor can give me guidance and advice to help me stay on track and make sure I stay on top of my tasks.
Overall, I think Mariko will be really useful. Being able to get help from a mentor personally to get started is invaluable. Always knowing what, who, when and where different activities need to be done is so nice.
Facts about Mariko (written by our team)
Mariko is a digital assistant based on the latest research in neuropsychology and personal experience of living with autism and ADHD. It combines innovative technology with personalized support from a mentor via chat. Mariko is available on mobile and tablet devices as an app or via a web browser.
One of the things that makes Mariko unique is the team's deep understanding of living with NPF and the ability to use innovative technology in a groundbreaking way.
