It's been exactly one week since I nervously hit 'post' on that TikTok announcing SSENSORY, and what a week it's been!

First off, I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who's joined our waitlist - we've just crossed 450 signups, which is honestly staggering. When I first shared that machine learning model for predicting sensory overload in neurodivergent folks, I knew it resonated, but this level of enthusiasm has blown me away.

The Power of "Me Too"

The comments and messages I've received have been deeply moving. So many of you have shared your experiences of being blindsided by sensory overload or emotional dysregulation - those moments where suddenly everything becomes Too Much, often with little warning.

One message particularly stuck with me: "I thought I was the only one who could feel a meltdown coming but couldn't explain how I knew." This is exactly why I'm building SSENSORY. That feeling isn't random - there are physiological patterns happening beneath the surface, and technology can help us identify them.

Where We're At

So what's happening behind the scenes? This week I've been:

• Setting up our development environment

• Researching wearable APIs (particularly Apple Watch to start)

• Mapping out the MVP features based on your feedback

• Talking to potential advisors with expertise in neurodivergent support

I'm taking a methodical approach because I want to get this right. As a neurodivergent person myself, I've seen too many tools that claim to help us but aren't actually built for our needs. SSENSORY will be different - built by and for our community. Although the machine learning model worked well, turning that into an app is new territory that I’m determined to conquer.

What's Next: I Need Your Input

Now comes the exciting part - and where I need your help.

I've created a brief survey to better understand your specific needs and preferences. If you're on our waitlist, you'll receive an email with the link shortly. If you're reading this and haven't joined yet, there's a link at the bottom of this post.

The survey covers:

• Which wearables you currently own

• Your specific sensory challenges

• Features you'd find most valuable

• How hormonal cycles affect your sensory experiences (if applicable)

Your responses will directly shape our development priorities. This isn't just market research - it's about building a tool that truly understands and supports your unique neurodivergent experience. Despite being neurodivergent, I know that it isn’t linear, that it isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” and it’s a spectrum. I’m not building something just for me, I’m building it for us.

I’m also applying for funding and grants as I’m currently self-financing to make SSENSORY what I’m envisioning to be. If you know of any pre-seed accelerators or pre-seed grants I can apply for, do let me know!

Help shape SSENSORY with your feedback!

The Roadmap

Here's what you can expect in the coming months:

• May-June: Development of core detection algorithms

• July: Initial prototype testing with a small group

• August: Expanded beta testing

• September: Public beta launch

Throughout this process, I'll be sharing updates, challenges, and insights here on Substack and on our social channels on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn (@ssensoryapp). This journey isn't just about building an app - it's about creating technology that fundamentally respects neurodivergent experiences.

Join Us

If you haven't already joined our waitlist, you can do so here!

And if you're already on the list, keep an eye on your inbox for our survey. Your input is invaluable.

Thank you for believing in this vision. Together, we're creating technology that adapts to people, rather than expecting people to adapt to technology.

Help shape SSENSORY with your feedback!

With gratitude,

Jennifer Opal

Founder of SSENSORY

I'm thrilled to announce the launch of ‘ssensory.ai’, an application designed to help neurodivergent individuals predict and prevent sensory overload and emotional dysregulation before they happen. Our waitlist is now open, and I'd love for you to join us on this journey!

From Personal Need to Machine Learning Solution

As a neurodivergent person with ADHD, I've experienced firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate a world that often feels overwhelming. A few years ago, I began exploring how technology might help people like me anticipate sensory overload before it becomes debilitating.

What started as a personal machine learning project has evolved into something much more significant. Initially, I created a model that could identify early physiological indicators of impending sensory overload in autistic and ADHD individuals. The results were promising—the model could detect subtle changes in heart rate variability, skin temperature, and movement patterns that typically precede overwhelm.

Transforming Research into a Practical Tool

Today, I'm taking that research to the next level with ‘ssensory.ai’. Our application integrates with your existing wearables (like Apple Watch, Oura Ring, Fitbit, or Ultrahuman) to monitor those same biometric signals that my original model identified as crucial.

But ‘ssensory.ai’ doesn't just detect—it empowers. When the app identifies patterns suggesting you're heading towards sensory overload or emotional dysregulation, it provides personalised, real-time coping strategies based on your specific needs and preferences.

More Than Just Sensory Support

As development progressed, I realised ‘ssensory’ could do even more:

• Menstrual cycle integration: For those who menstruate, we factor in how hormonal cycles affect neurodivergent symptoms—something woefully overlooked in most health tech.

• Trusted contact alerts: Optional feature to notify your support person if you're approaching shutdown or meltdown.

• Personalised daily planning: Recommendations that adapt to your unique cognitive and sensory profile.

What makes ‘ssensory’ different is that it's built by neurodivergent people, for neurodivergent people. We're not trying to "fix" anyone—we're creating technology that adapts to your needs rather than expecting you to adapt to neurotypical expectations.

Join Our Waitlist

We're currently preparing for our beta launch, and I'd love for you to be among our first users. By joining our waitlist, you'll:

• Get early access to the app

• Help shape its development with your feedback

• Join a community of people with similar experiences

• Be part of something that could change how neurodivergent individuals navigate daily life

Join the ‘ssensory.ai’ Waitlist →

Looking Forward

Building ‘ssensory’ has been both a professional journey and a deeply personal one. As we move forward, my commitment is to create technology that truly understands and supports neurodivergent experiences.

I believe that the best assistive technology doesn't try to make us "normal"—it empowers us to be our authentic selves while navigating a world that isn't always built for us.

If you're neurodivergent, know someone who is, or simply believe in creating more inclusive technology, I'd be honoured to have your support as we bring ‘ssensory’ to life.

Together, let's build a future where technology adapts to people, not the other way around.

Join the waitlist today →

Support and build

You can follow my solo founder journey here on Substack & my TikTok.

You can find ‘ssensory’ on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok where we’ll create community focused on building this app for our neurodivergent community.

If you have any thoughts, feedback, advice on anything, do feel free to reach out. This is a new and exciting journey I’m on but I’m excited to be building with you!

With nothing but gratitude,

Jennifer Opal

Founder of ‘ssensory.ai’

Firstly…

This project began as a response to a personal challenge as an autistic women and an ADHDer. The last couple of days have been so amazing. I shared a TikTok talking about a ML model that helps prevents and predicts sensory overload in autistics and ADHDers and it went viral on LinkedIn! I’m so overwhelmed with the positive comments, the community being built around it, the optimism… thank you all so, so much!

The project

Building an AI system for the neurodivergent community is so important to me especially as a neurodivergent woman. We have so many tools that we have to use to manage our symptoms but many are not made with accessibility and neurodivergent brains in mind. For example, many women and non-binaries with ADHD tend to have different experiences in the lead up to and during their monthly cycles. It’s an experience many people can relate to but not something considered when tools and support is being discussed.

This machine learning project I’ve built is the beginning of something that could make such an impact and I’m excited to build it, grow it and share it with the world especially our neurodivergent community.

The problem

Sensory overload. Some of you may have heard that term. Some may interpret it as simply being overwhelmed but for us, as neurodivergent individuals, particularly autistic people and those with ADHD like me.

Sensory overload is defined as:

Sensory overload is something I’ve experienced a lot in my life; from public places to within the comfort of my own home. What inspired to build this project was my partner, who is also autistic. When she experiences sensory overload, it presents differently to how I present it. For her, she may get frustrated, start to shut down vocally and that’s a sign that wherever we are, we need to exit that area quickly. For me, in heightened moments of stress, my sensory overload can present into bursts of emotion, it may be seen as angry outbursts to others. I flap my hands sometimes trying to calm down and I cry.. a lot! I also experience an increase in body temperature and sweating.

Sensory overload is a daily reality for us. From working in offices with incredibly bright lights that feel overwhelming to needing to wear headphones to protect us from the immense amount of noise we navigate in public spaces.

We use many tools to help us navigate sensory overload. Some may wear sunglasses, others use noise cancelling headphones (like myself!) and for many, avoiding certain environments altogther.

Altogether, these are helpful tools and strategies, they’re focused on being reactive rather than predictive. They don’t account for individual experiences and differences such as the additional experience of women or people with a uterus.

AI gives a great opportunity to combine environmental monitoring with machine learning. We can create systems that understand us as neurodivergent people, that can predict and adapt to individual sensory needs.

The technical

My solution uses a hybrid AI model that combines general understanding with personal adaptation. I wanted to create something that could truly understand and adapt to individual sensory experiences: like a ‘sensory’ weather app.

I started by using synthetic data modelling common sensory patterns which include data points such as:

• Environmental Monitoring

  • Light levels

  • Sound intensity

  • Movement patterns

  • Flourescent vs natural light

• Movement Analysis

  • Visual motion tracking

  • Space dynamics

  • Crowd density

  • Pattern recognition

• Environmental Factors

  • Temperature variations

  • Humidity levels

  • Air quality

I chose these points because from research, as well as past personal sensory overload experience, these factors seemed like a great place to start as a foundation. For it to really do what it does best, personalisation is where the innovation would be impactful as it’ll learn the patterns of the individual.

As I further develop this, my aim is to expand its capabilities to do things such as:

1. Enhanced Personalisation:

• Multiple context support

• Predictive modeling

2. Integration Features:

• Wearable device support

• Alert systems

• Automated adjustments

3. Community Aspects:

• Anonymous pattern sharing

• Trend analysis

• Community insights

I want this AI system to protect the user, to be ethical, to be inclusive and to be helpful to us and this is just the beginning!

The goal is to create technology that truly understands and supports neurodivergent experiences, making spaces more accessible for everyone. I’m constantly learning and adapting, just like our AI system!

The challenges

A question I was asked was why I chose to use synthetic data in the model. There was a multitude of reasons. The top reason was I’m still trying to figure out how to source data for this ethically. It would allow me to create a prototype faster while I research into ethical data collection practises.

As it further develops, the base model will get personalised through 2-6 weeks initial calibration period, a minimum of 100 data points for a basic personalisation. I believe that 500 data points would be an ideal point to build to in order to gain good accuracy as well as getting user feedback and response tracking.

Each individual is different. What is overwhelming for me may not be overwhelming for another. This is why I opted for creating a base Machine Learning model that can be used straight away so I can gradually move to more personalised predictions that’ll continually learn and adapt thresholds.

Community feedback will be essential for its growth. Although I’m depending a lot on my neurodivergent experience, the feedback from the community is what will make this even greater and hugely beneficial for the community.

The goals

My immediate goals is to continue to build on this project for it to become a tool or a feature for neurodivergent people. I plan to continue to share how it evolves and continue to build community around it. This is something being built for neurodivergent people by a neurodivergent woman but I need the input of my community to make it something that we all need it to be: a system that understand us.

I’m learning along the way while building it publicly; sharing the good, the bumps and the confusing. It’s definitely challenging this balancing an exciting project while working full time as a Data Engineer and studying full time for my Bachelor of Science degree. If I could put all my time to this, I would but at this moment in time, I’m unable to.

I’m excited to keep growing this and sharing the process. This feels like the beginning of my own research lab with inclusivity, ethics and our neurodivergent brains in mind.

Let me know your thoughts, leave any comments you may have and if there’s more you’d like to learn about this specific project or the AI system I’m building, let me know!

With love and neurospice,

dbmih xo

Welcome to the first entry to Data But Make It Human.

Artificial intelligence has been a topic of conversation globally and we have been amid an “AI Boom” in the last year or so.

From the many conversations about this technology, I started to think about how it can be used positively. How could I use it to make a positive social impact? As someone who has ADHD and was diagnosed as an adult, I decided to build an early detection tool for ADHD.

What is the importance of early ADHD detection?

ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects both children and adults. It is characterised by a persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interferes with daily functioning or development.

When I was diagnosed with ADHD, I was 27 years old. I had never heard of ADHD before that moment. As the educational psychologist explained what it was, it started to explain so many things about my behaviour, personality, and mannerisms. The diagnosis changed my life in many ways but it also made me wonder how different my life could have been if I’d known sooner.

In the UK and the US, many people are waiting months, or even years just for an assessment for a diagnosis. Some others are being misdiagnosed or even labelled negatively for having a brain that they can’t understand.

The early detection of ADHD saves lives and improves lives. It can:

• help people get access to early interventions academically and socially which helps to improve their confidence and better performance in their academic and social lives.

• helps parents, teachers, and caregivers to implement appropriate behavioral management techniques.

• help people get access to treatment plans for mental health issues as it is very common for those with ADHD to also have other aligning mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

So how can AI help with early ADHD detection?

AI can help with early detection in multiple ways. The capabilities of data analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modeling can contribute to that. Here’s a list of some more ways:

• It can help in reducing bias of subjective interpretations from healthcare professionals and educators

• It can help with reducing waiting lists of people waiting for access to a diagnosis

• AI algorithms can analyse large datasets of behavioural patterns to detect subtle signs of ADHD that might be missed by traditional assessments.

• Machine learning models can identify specific combinations of behaviours, such as attention deficits or hyperactivity, that are indicative of ADHD, allowing for early intervention.

What is my goal for the project?

My goal is to simply create a tool that can create change, help society and provide answers to others who also have ADHD. Many people are waiting and I believe that AI can help in providing an accessible answer.

I will be blogging weekly updates on TikTok, Substack and LinkedIn sharing my progress as well as the tools I’m using.

Until next time,

signed dbmih xo

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