Foni SoKo2

This version of our Foni SoKo2 App has been designed and adapted specifically for the English-speaking world. Understanding your own thoughts, intentions and emotions is a crucial precondition for the ability to understand others’ perspectives and develop a Theory of Mind. Additionally, to be able to see the world from the perspective of a different person, you need to be aware that other people won’t necessarily have the same thoughts and intentions as you. Using bright, accessible cartoons, the Foni SoKo2 App offers its users an opportunity to train their social interaction and communication skills. The App allows its users to work towards a long-term goal, which is divided into six individual sections. Each of these sections comprises an individual short-term goal. The cartoons represent generic situations; users are encouraged to apply them to their own daily lives, and thus enabled to generalize their lessons on social communication. If a training remains restricted to the “lab” or the classroom, with no opportunity for application in the “real world”, its effects are likely to be very limited. Our practical approach is designed to bridge this gap. Social and communicative skills are key competences to navigate the world, and participate in social life and community activities. With its accessible cartoons, our app helps autistic individuals to approach and navigate social interactions and different forms of communication. We recommend that autistic individuals training with our Foni SoKo2 App should be supported by a professional therapist or teacher, a coach, or a parent or guardian. For each situation, users can choose between two possible answers. After making a choice, they are asked a follow-up question: “Why did you select that option?” The question encourages them to reflect on their choices and to get into a conversation about them. Such a dialogue can also help to address possible misunderstandings, which may have arisen with regard to the meaning of a cartoon. Foni SoKo2 - Changing perspectives • Recognizing emotions • How does the other person feel? • Taking the other person’s perspective • Considering the other person’s perspective • Making compromises • Reading between the lines