{
  "abstract": "Objectives In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), limited access to autism knowledge and interventions contribute to stigma and poor outcomes. Caregivers need support to improve their autism knowledge and reduce caregiver isolation. The objective of this study was to develop Takia, a mobile health (mHealth) autism education and peer support program for caregivers of autistic children in western Kenya.Methods Takia was developed by adapting the content and format (group to mHealth) of a caregiver well-being and behavioral intervention program developed by our interdisciplinary US-Kenya research team. Weekly team meetings and two program development sessions with 10 Kenyan caregivers to autistic children were held. Takia includes nine structured educational modules delivered via WhatsApp covering basic autism education, caregiver coping strategies, and behavioral interventions. Ten caregivers were trained as Autism Information Navigators (AIN) and provided education and peer support to caregivers and community members. Iterative adaptations were coded using the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Expanded. Implementation data is documented via AIN logs and Google Analytics.Results Thirty-two adaptations were made during development; 78% (n=25) were guided by caregivers. Since March 2025, AINs have delivered Takia to 11 caregivers and provided autism education to 269 community members. To date, 97 active users have accessed the Takia modules online. Data collection is ongoing.Conclusions Takia’s co-development highlights the importance of engaging caregivers in developing and implementing culturally grounded interventions. This work lays the foundation for further scale up and implementation of sustainable, community-driven interventions to fill critical autism resource gaps in LMICs.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Kristin Fauntleroy-Love"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Geneva Baumberger"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya"
      ],
      "name": "Chelagat Saina"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Mandy Rispoli"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Megan McHenry"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Rebecca McNally Keehn"
    }
  ],
  "title": "108 Community-engaged development and preliminary implementation of a peer-delivered mHealth program for Kenyan caregivers of autistic children",
  "uid": "91b35247-9510-51e0-b59f-d70f9fd45e93"
}