Clinikids
CUES Autism Project
CUES (Coping with Uncertainty in Everyday Situations©) is a parent and primary caregiver group program originally developed by researchers at the University of Newcastle (UK). The program supports caregivers to recognise intolerance of uncertainty in children, identify triggers, and develop personalised plans for supporting their child in uncertain situations. Each plan includes strategies that parents can use to help their child cope and thrive in daily life.
Originally designed for children aged 8–16 years, research showed CUES was feasible to deliver and promising in reducing anxiety. Building on this foundation, researchers at CliniKids partnered with the original developers to trial a younger version — CUES-Junior — for children aged 4–7 years on the autism spectrum who experience uncertainty-related anxiety.
Trials of CUES-Junior demonstrated strong benefits for families, including significant improvements in parental stress and child anxiety. Parents also valued the sense of community that came from connecting with others who shared similar challenges.
UX/UI Role
Upbeat Digital was engaged to explore how the CUES Program could be delivered digitally. The initial concept was an app, but through research and design activities it became clear that a different solution was needed.
User interviews – conducted with parents, carers, and clinicians to capture experiences of uncertainty-related anxiety and how they wanted to access support
Workshops – facilitated brainstorming and mapping activities to test delivery options
Prototyping – supporting the CUES team to created the web-based format
User insights – interviews and feedback revealed that families preferred an online website or learning module over an app, due to accessibility, flexibility, and ease of integration into daily routines
Next Steps
The program is now being delivered in an online format, ensuring families across Australia can access it. This pivot, grounded in user research, has supported the scaling of CUES-Junior without the significant cost of developing and maintaining an app.
Outcomes
By choosing the right delivery model, CliniKids was able to make the CUES Program more accessible, effective, and sustainable. Families now benefit from an evidence-based program delivered in a format that meets their needs, while the project saved significant resources that would have been required for app development.
👉 Click here to learn more about the CUES Program at CliniKids.