The Mission | Building Autism Educational Tools That Actually Help Kids
In 2026, my son Marios sits with his speech therapist using photocopies, traditional worksheets and flashcards. The same tools therapists were using 20 and 30 years ago. The same tools we’re still using at home.
I watch Marios struggle through exercises that could be interactive, engaging, and tracked for progress. I watch therapists do incredible work with inadequate tools. And I know we can do better.
This is why ReadnLearn exists.
Why This Matters
Families with autistic children spend an average of $60,000 per year on therapy and support. Speech therapy costs $100-250 per hour. But therapy sessions end, and kids need consistent practice at home.
The gap between professional therapy time and home practice time is massive. Most apps don’t bridge this gap because they weren’t built by people who understand both the clinical needs and the lived experience of raising a neurodivergent child.
Marios is 9 years old. He’s autistic and verbal but has delayed speech. He’s been in therapy since he was 2, and I’ve watched therapists create remarkable progress with him using tools that haven’t evolved with technology.
I’m a developer and illustrator with 27 years of experience creating educational content for children. I received Disney’s Creativity Award in 2002 and Microsoft’s App Campus recognition in 2014. I know how to build proper digital tools.
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But until now, I haven’t had the time or resources to build what our kids actually need.
That’s what ReadnLearn is changing.
The Vision: Autism Educational Tools, what I am actually building
I will create research-backed educational books and apps specifically designed for neurodivergent children. Not generic content adapted for special needs. Not therapy tools without context. Proper digital solutions built from the ground up with input from therapists, tested with real kids, and designed by someone who lives this reality every day.
TimeTales: The First Step
Our first project is TimeTales, a series of time-traveling adventure books designed for children ages 7-10. We’re creating two versions of every story:
- Standard edition for neurotypical readers
- Visual learner edition for children who benefit from enhanced visual support and simplified text structures
TimeTales isn’t just books. It’s the foundation for future interactive apps that will help kids practice reading comprehension, speech development, and cognitive skills with the same quality standards you’d expect from professional therapy tools.
What Comes Next
After TimeTales, we’re building apps that address the real gaps parents and therapists face:
- Speech development tools with professional guidance built in
- Progress tracking that actually shows improvement
- Exercises that connect to real-world communication, not just app engagement
- Resources developed in collaboration with the therapists who work with Marios and other children
None of this exists yet. But it will!!
Why Autism Educational Tools haven't been built yet
Building proper educational tools for neurodivergent children requires three things most developers don’t have:
- Professional expertise in child development and educational content creation
- Clinical collaboration with therapists who understand what actually works
- Personal experience raising a child with these exact needs
I have all three. What I haven’t had is the time and resources to build it while managing a family and a business.
ReadnLearn operates as a dual model: children’s book illustration services for US authors fund the development of autism-focused educational resources. Every illustration project brings me closer to working full-time on tools that will help kids like Marios.
The Family Legacy
I didn’t start creating for children in 2015. I grew up in this world.
My family founded MIKA in 1978, creating puzzles and board games for European markets. We held licenses from Disney, Marvel, Nickelodeon, and Warner Brothers. Clients included Nestle, Eugenides Foundation, and major European retailers.
I literally grew up designing educational games.
When the mobile revolution started in 2010, I co-founded a development company and built educational apps, earning recognition from Microsoft’s App Campus program in 2014 for Math Puppy, an app that helped young children learn math through interactive play.
In 2015, I founded ReadnLearn to focus on what matters most: creating visual content that helps children learn.
Now, ten years later, I’m building what I wish existed when Marios was first diagnosed: proper digital tools that respect both the clinical requirements and the human experience of raising neurodivergent children.
Join the Journey
ReadnLearn isn’t a charity. It’s not a fully-funded nonprofit with existing programs. It’s a mission that starts with one father, one illustrator, one developer who refuses to accept that photocopies are the best we can do in 2026.
If this mission resonates with you, join our email list. You’ll get early access to TimeTales visual learner editions, updates on app development progress, and the chance to provide feedback that shapes what we build.
When TimeTales launches, early supporters will receive a free digital copy of the visual learner edition. In return, I’ll ask for your honest review on Amazon to help other families discover resources built for their kids.
This is just the beginning.
What Your Support Enables
Every person who joins this list, shares this mission, or hires ReadnLearn for illustration work accelerates the timeline from “someday” to “soon.”
When ReadnLearn reaches $5,000 per month in sustainable revenue, I transition from split focus to full-time development. That’s when everything changes. That’s when the apps get built. That’s when therapists and parents finally get tools that match the quality of work they’re already doing.
We’re not asking for donations. We’re building a sustainable model where professional illustration services fund the creation of resources that shouldn’t require a Disney budget to access.
Questions about the mission? Email: aris@readnlearn.com
ReadnLearn | Creating for Children, Supporting Education
