Impact
Neurodivergent children lack frequent, structured opportunities to practice emotional regulation and real-world social communication in safe, affirming and responsive environments. As diagnoses rise, fewer than 40% receive social-emotional intervention. Traditional therapy visits – if available and affordable - typically occur episodically up to every week or two, leaving multiple days and hours with opportunity for more guided reinforcement. Many neurodivergent young people experience heightened stress responses triggered by sensory overload, unpredictable environments, and ambiguous social cues. Therapists and school personnel have no scalable, emotionally intelligent system to support regulation practice in real time. Parents and caregivers are busy, stressed and stretched to try to fill the unmet needs. The impact of HelloMyFriend is felt as a meaningful degree of avoidable anxiety, isolation, strained family dynamics, and missed opportunities for connection. This gap—between need and support—is measurable, urgent, and growing. Therapists are asking for a solution that allows their work in visits to carry through the interim and to better understand what is working for their patients and how this technology can enhance their impact. Parents are searching for accessible, low-cost ways to help them help their child. Both are looking for alternatives to gamified apps or outdated behavioral "fixes". Skill development and progress in emotional regulation are measurable. The answer is HelloMyFriend and the impact it will make to help therapists deliver more efficient care, parents and caregivers feel relief using an effective tool to support their children, and the neurodivergent youth thrive and build on their strengths in an affirming and safe way.
What I'll do with $5,000
These funds will allow HelloMyFriend to be uniquely featured as a technology Small Business Spotlight at the timely and large, in-person conference of social developmental therapists. This is the 10th anniversary of the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) conference (https://www.casproviders.org/events/2026-conference) that is happening at the end of April 2026 - National Autism Awareness Month - and allows us to share significant lead-up marketing. We are expecting that this will directly impact our traction through relationship building and development of pathways to adoption for our next implementation practices. The timing is perfect as we build off of our upcoming validation pilot and prepare for a full national launch later in 2026.
Quick Bio
Amy Stratbucker, as CEO, brings 30 years of leadership development and human-centered innovation and has now partnered with co-founders with patented technology to bring a dream for each to life.