How AI Could Personalize Autism Support

About this episode

How can technology better support the individual needs of autistic people and their families? On this episode of The Healthcast, Phil Zappone speaks with Cait Russell, occupational therapist and Chief Operating Officer at Multiple, a nonprofit accelerator supporting entrepreneurs building autism-related technology. Cait shares how her background in business and occupational therapy led her toward systems-level change. She explains why accessibility, individualized support and meaningful outcomes should guide product development—and why even promising technologies can struggle to reach the people who need them. The conversation explores tools that help therapists launch in-home practices, camera-free sleep tracking and personalized AI companions for everyday routines. Cait also discusses how Multiple brings families, clinicians, founders and investors together to help shape products and support their adoption. In this episode: • Moving from occupational therapy into nonprofit and innovation leadership • Designing accessible, individualized technology from the start • Evaluating whether products deliver meaningful outcomes • Helping therapists build in-home private practices • Using sleep data to inform support and interventions • Why distribution and adoption are critical for startups • Personalized AI companions for routines, work and school • Involving autistic people and families in product development • Multiple’s goal of connecting one million neurodivergent people to life-changing technology by 2030 • The personal story behind Multiple’s founding CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 00:41 From Clinical Care to Systems-Level Impact 02:50 Finding a Mission in Autism and Neurodiversity 04:18 Designing Accessible Technology with Meaningful Outcomes 07:14 Cait’s Path from Occupational Therapy to Multiple 10:20 How Multiple Supports Autism Innovation 11:59 Startup Examples: Therapy Access and Sleep Tracking 15:02 Why Startups Struggle with Adoption 16:09 Connecting Startups with Families and Clinicians 17:28 Personalized AI Companions for Everyday Support 20:02 Building an Autism Innovation Ecosystem 21:09 AI and the Potential for Individualized Support 24:05 Multiple’s Vision and Its 2030 Goal 26:04 The Story Behind Multiple’s Founding 28:53 Closing Reflections Episode Resources: Website | https://www.multiplehub.org/ LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/multiplehub/ Ryan L. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitrussellotd/ Check out what I do helping small businesses here: Website | https://nxaihealth.com/ LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-zappone-647957379/ Subscribe to The HealthCast for more conversations with the people shaping healthcare.