A calm companion for ER visits with neurodivergent kids.
A calm-down companion for caregivers in hard moments.
calmER Companion is a quiet, on-device toolkit for parents and caregivers — including those caring for a child on the autism spectrum — and useful for anyone who wants a calm, private corner of their phone for hard moments. Everything happens on the device, in your pocket, ready when you need it.
New here? See How to use calmER Companion.
What’s inside
- Profile — your child’s name, allergies, medical history, and what helps them stay calm, kept privately on your phone.
- Visual ER Guide — a 9-step picture walkthrough of what happens at the ER, from check-in and triage all the way through to going home (or, if needed, settling into a room upstairs).
- Care Cards — short phrases you can tap to show staff when words are hard (“Please dim the lights,” “Warn us before touching”), grouped into sensory, communication, de-escalation, and pain-assessment sets, each with a tap-to-speak voice button.
- Priority Info — the one critical thing staff need to know about your child, one tap away on the home screen.
- Support Cards — a child-facing communication board of tap-to-speak picture cards so your child can say what they need out loud, even when speaking is too much.
- Sensory Toolkit — calming tools for the waiting room: a visual timer, a breathing animation, a feelings picker, a “First-Then” board, a Break Card, a Don’t Touch Yet card, and seven social stories about common procedures.
How to use calmER Companion
calmER Companion lives entirely on your device. There is no account to create, nothing to sign up for, and no internet connection needed — you simply open the app. Because everything is right there on your phone or tablet, the best time to look around is before you ever need it. Take a quiet moment to explore each part calmly, so it already feels familiar on the day it matters.
Before you go — set things up at home
Start in a calm moment, well before any visit. Open the Profile and add the key things about your child — the details you would want a nurse or doctor to know quickly. While you are there, write a short Priority Info note for the single most important thing staff should see first. Then, when there is time, sit with your child and look through the Visual ER Guide together. Walking through what an emergency room visit looks like, step by step, helps the day ahead feel familiar rather than unknown.
At the hospital — sharing and communicating
When you arrive, you do not have to hold every detail in your head. Show or share the Profile with staff so the important information is right in front of them, and let the Priority Info note point them to what matters most. If you find yourself too overwhelmed to find the words, open the Care Cards — large, easy-to-read phrases for ER staff, grouped by topic, that the app can read aloud for you. They are a gentle way to keep communicating, even on the hardest moments.
In the moment — helping your child cope
During the waiting and the harder stretches, reach for the tools made for right now. Hand your child the Support Cards — a simple board of tap-to-speak picture cards — so they can say what they need in their own voice when speaking is too much. And open the Sensory Toolkit whenever the moment calls for it: inside you will find a visual timer, a breathing animation, a feelings picker, a “First-Then” board, “Break” and “Don’t Touch Yet” cards, and illustrated social stories about common procedures. Choose whichever tool fits, and let it help you and your child find a calmer pace together.
There is nothing to set up and nothing to switch on. Open calmER Companion whenever you like, explore it calmly, and let it be ready for you when you need it.
Privacy
calmER Companion does not collect, transmit, or share any of your data. Everything you enter stays on your device. There are no accounts, no servers, no analytics, and no third-party trackers.
Support the project
calmER Companion is free. There are no required purchases and no locked features. If the app helps your family and you’d like to leave a small thank-you, an optional tip jar inside Settings lets you do that.
Wellness, not medical
calmER Companion is a wellness companion, not a medical device, and doesn’t replace professional medical advice.
Contact
Questions or feedback? Email hitsukeyaku@gmail.com.