WACO, Texas (KWTX) – A Central Texas father is turning a personal challenge into a new tool for autistic children and their families.<\/p>\n
Inspired by his daughter, Bill Murray is creating an app called BrighterBuddy, which is now in its final stages of development.<\/p>\n
While helping his daughter through her journey with autism, Murray identified a gap in available resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see there\u2019s a gap there. There\u2019s a gap between parents sending their kids off to school, sending them to therapy, and what are they doing in between then? How are they helping themselves? Kids are all on iPads now, my kids are, everybody\u2019s kids are, and how can we help them feel confident?\u201d said Bill Murray, founder of BrighterBuddy.<\/p>\n
App development progresses from concept to reality<\/p>\n
His answer is an app designed to help neurodivergent kids build confidence in who they are, while practicing social and emotional skills.<\/p>\n
KWTX first introduced BrighterBuddy last May, when Murray said the app was more of a concept than a reality. Since then, he has hired a development team to help bring the project to life.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s crazy how this thing has grown, but it\u2019s also great, because, when you do things you want to, or do things you feel like you need to do, for not only yourself, but your family, your kids, it\u2019s really a great experience. It\u2019s not work to me, it\u2019s just a great time,\u201d Murray said.<\/p>\n
Features designed for neurodivergent children<\/p>\n
The app comes equipped with zones designed to assist in areas such as speech, social skills, and emotional regulation.<\/p>\n
Each user has a \u201cbuddy\u201d within the app to help guide them through the process, with the option of purchasing a plush doll of the avatar for added comfort and security.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all decompress when we get home from work, or we get home from school and everything. Kids on the spectrum need that decompression too, and it\u2019s different, because, to self-regulate, to keep their nervous system focused, or just back to square one, they need different things,\u201d Murray said.<\/p>\n
Pricing and launch timeline<\/p>\n
Once launched, Murray said the service will cost subscribers $6 per month, with the option to create profiles for multiple children on the same device without incurring extra charges.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt costs much less than going to speech and OT, and we\u2019re not trying to substitute that. But everyone can use that, right? The speech teacher can use that as a tool. These are just tools, we\u2019re not trying to replace anyone,\u201d Murray said.<\/p>\n
Murray said BrighterBuddy is set to officially launch in early February, with the accompanying plush \u201cbuddies\u201d set to roll out later in 2026.<\/p>\n
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