293 The MEND Initiative: Meaningfully Empowering the NeuroDiverse

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: This project’s objective is to empower verbally-communicating autistic adults to express their mental health needs to mental health professionals, regardless of their training or experience in autism. By enhancing empowerment in this area, we aim to enhance their self-awareness and confidence in navigating and accessing mental health support. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Following the Toronto Translational Framework (TTF), our approach involves co-designing and testing an intervention directly with the autistic population through three phases. Phase I will review published literature on autism, mental health, and patient empowerment, validate our identified need through informal meetings with stakeholders, and assemble an autistic advisory committee (AAC) of 5-8 members who are able to provide informed conset without assistant, are fluent in English, and 18 years of age or older. Phase II will involve participatory design sessions with our AAC to develop a low-fidelity prototype to address the identified need. Phase III will evaluate our prototype’s effectiveness through a separate series of focus groups, which will consist of members from our target population. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We are anticipating that by the end of our research, we have successfully co-designed an intervention that effectievly empowers autistic adults in their mental health journey through increasing their self-awareness and confidence in navigating and receiving mental health support. At a larger scale, results may include the empowerment of autistic adults to seek and receive mental health care from mental health professionals, regardless of professionals’ prior autism expertise. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: By enhancing self-awareness of their mental healthcare needs and boosting self-reported confidence in communicating with mental health professionals, we aim to take the first step in creating timely, patient-centered solutions, and bridging gaps in the evolving neuro-affirmative healthcare system.