Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacey Ledbetter.
Hi Stacey; thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Stacey Ledbetter, and I am the Founder of NFlyte and the mother of an autistic young adult. My daughter is an “in-betweener” who can manage basic self-care but cannot live independently without significant help. As she was approaching adulthood, I knew she had the potential to live a more independent life, but she would need tools and support to help her along the way. I researched technologies to help autistic adults to gain critical daily living skills but found apps mostly geared to children in K-12, even though 80% of all people with autism in the U.S. are adults.
An estimated 5.4 million adults in the U.S. have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the number is set to explode. One in 36 children is diagnosed with autism in 2020, up from 1 in 44 children in 2018 to 1 in 150 children in 2000, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For young adults with autism and their families, the transition to adulthood is a period of intense uncertainty and isolation as typical rites of passage pass them by. Adults with autism live at home at a four times higher rate than their neurotypical peers. However, the majority are motivated to move out with some level of parental support, according to the Autism Housing Network (AHN). In March 2023, NFlyte was launched. NFlyte is an all-in-one life skills platform for autistic adults and their families. The platform is a mobile app for autistic adults to gain daily life skills and a web-based portal for parents to provide remote support, customize and modify schedules and track daily progress. The parent portal was an important component to build into the platform so that families can continue to provide remote support and have peace of mind that their adult child is staying on top of important independent living tasks.
NFlyte is built for autistic adults with support needs seeking higher independence. The mobile app is designed with age-appropriate features, including an easy-to-use visual schedule, grocery list, community cookbook, mood check-in, and document holder. The app works with a web-based portal that gives parents, and caregivers complete visibility into the day’s progress and the ability to customize daily living modules and track success on a dashboard.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the challenges NFlyte had to overcome was creating one platform for two very different audiences. Autistic adults tend to have executive function deficits, and the product needed to be very straightforward and user-friendly. On the other hand, parents and caregivers needed detailed information to be confident their loved ones were thriving independently. We are accustomed to simply downloading an app and having everything ready. NFlyte is two products in one and is built to be completely customizable for each individual’s needs. Unfortunately, that means that the setup is a bit more complicated. We are laser-focused on creating in-product tutorials to help users get started and make the most out of NFlyte. We will have a step-by-step “walk me” feature to show how it is used and a full video library for tutorials.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Autism is often considered a childhood issue, meanwhile, 80% of all autistics are adults, and only 2% of research and funding is dedicated to the adult group. Approximately 87% of young adults live at home with their families, while 78% want to live independently. The strain on families can be substantial as parents of autistic children earn 56% less than their similar peers. The estimated cost for autistic adult care in the US is expected to reach $345 billion by 2025 and will continue to grow as up to 100,000 autistic students will leave high school in the US each year. Many autistic adults will always need support from either families or professional caretakers. Parents like me are looking for solutions to help them stay connected with managing their adult child’s daily living needs while also giving them the space to learn the skills to live a more fulfilling and independent life. NFlyte’s vision is to become the supported independent living technology home for autistic adults and their families. NFlyte is a technology company offering the first-ever digital life skills platform and community for autistic adults to live independently. The company envisions a tech-enabled world that empowers autistic adults to live fulfilling lives while staying connected with a meaningful support network. The NFlyte solution includes an affordable and comprehensive suite of tools that support executive functioning and practical life skills for adults with autism while providing a fully remote monitoring system for parents and caregivers. The company envisions offering unique life skills management programs for all types of intellectual and developmental disabilities and age-related cognitive conditions such as dementia. The NFlyte product roadmap includes modules to support social skill development and interconnectivity with smart home devices. Please visit www.nflyte.com
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check?
I am constantly learning from the autism community. I follow many organizations to stay abreast of the latest research and advocacy for autistic adults. Some important organizations are The Autism Housing Network, The Madison House Foundation, Autism Spectrum News, The Daniel J. Fiddle Foundation, Disability Scoop, SOS Care, and First Place Arizona. I also serve on the committee of SOS Care in Charleston, SC, which is working on some outstanding efforts to help the intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) community in the Lowcountry. We are currently completing construction on an affordable housing community for I/DD adults in Conway, SC, called Oak Tree Farm. In addition, we are actively surveying to collect data on the need for affordable housing options in the Charleston area. We are urgently looking for as many families as possible to fill out the survey https://soscaresc.org/charleston-housing-market-study.
Pricing:
- Free Trial until September 30
- October 1, a monthly subscription of $14.99/month
Contact Info:
- Website: www.NFlyte.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nflytelife/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NFlyteLife
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nflyte
- Youtube: @NFlyteLife
Image Credits
Headshot photo credit Diana Deaver https://dianadeaverweddings.com/
