Support for people with autism that goes everywhere they go.
Ama turns each person’s goals and strategies into short, interactive activities, and keeps families, educators, and clinicians working from the same plan, at home, at school, and in therapy.
Safe and private by design, and you always choose who sees what.
Goes with them. Grows with them.
Support for today and tomorrow.
Ama grows with them, goes with them, and one day becomes theirs.
One plan, carried everywhere.
Follow one goal through a week. It’s taught at school, practiced at home and in therapy, and starts showing up on its own, with every response recorded by setting.
Families, educators, and clinicians add what they see, not just what Ama sees
Prompted and independent responses stay separate
Each note shows who saw it, where, and when
Help for everyday moments, at every age.
The moments change as they grow, from bedtime and haircuts to a new class schedule and a first day somewhere new. One Ama is there for each of them.
How Ama works
From everyday moments through independence.
Here’s what Ama does, from setting up to seeing real progress. The steps are the same in every setting.
Safe and private by design
You stay in charge.
AI raises real questions for families, educators, and clinicians. Here’s how Ama is built to answer them.
Encrypted in transit and at rest
On-device processing (in development)
Built on industry best practices for data security
Designed to support COPPA, FERPA, and HIPAA compliance
Adults set the plan
Families and the professionals they trust choose the goals and strategies. When Ama suggests targets, they’re checked before they’re saved.
Conversations stay on track
If someone drifts off topic, Ama gently brings them back to the practice. It encourages and redirects, and never scolds.
Private from day one
Use a nickname or alias until you’re ready. Data is never used to train models for other users.
You choose who sees what
Invite the people you trust. Role-based access means each person sees only what they need.
Outcomes
What families and care teams are seeing.
Early results from Ama’s pilots, and what people using it every day have to say.
Early pilot findings
In early pilots with learners ages 3–17, we saw encouraging gains in:
Verbal communication
Reading fluency and comprehension
Knowledge in select learning areas
Enthusiasm for practicing with Ama
Preliminary findings that will be evaluated through additional research. Ama is built with researchers, parents, educators, and behavioral health professionals.
Research supported by
Through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program
“The built-in breaks are amazing. As a parent who’s tried it all, this is so motivating!”
J
Jeanette
Mom of Olive, 8
“I love that it is so communicative and supportive for the team working to help a student learn!”
L
Laura
3rd Grade Teacher
“Our kiddo keeps asking if he gets to talk to Ama today, he’s excited to engage!”
G
Grace
Behavior Analyst
The R&D described here was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), U.S. Department of Education, through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program award 2025-33610-45055 and contract 91990026C0028 to NarrateAR, Inc. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the USDA NIFA, IES, or the U.S. Department of Education.
Pricing
One price. Two ways to start.
Working with a family who uses Ama? Educators and clinicians they share with can view progress for free.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Can’t find what you’re looking for? We’re happy to help.
About Ama
Guide every child toward a lifetime of independence.
That’s our mission. Here’s why we’re building Ama, the people behind it, and the professionals helping shape it.
Ama was created in Ames, Iowa, by Drs. Karri Haen Whitmer and Christopher Whitmer — parents who have seen firsthand how meaningful, consistent support can help their son, Ethan, thrive. Their family’s experience revealed a common challenge: skills practiced in therapy or school do not always carry naturally into everyday life, and important insights can become disconnected across families, educators, and providers.
Drawing on Karri’s work in neurobiology, accessibility, assistive technology, and inclusive education, and Christopher’s background as an aerospace engineer and EdTech entrepreneur, they built Ama to help close that gap. Their shared belief is simple: every child has extraordinary potential when families and care teams have the right tools to understand, support, and grow with them.
Built with everyone who supports each child
Ama is being created with input from Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), special educators, researchers, advocates, and parents, so the strategies each child practices with Ama line up with the ones their care team already uses.
Meet the team
The people building Ama, from our home base in Iowa.
Our funders and supporters
Ama’s research and development is backed by federal grants, the State of Iowa, and education and autism accelerators.
U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences
U.S. Department of Agriculture NIFA
Iowa Economic Development Authority
NewSchools Venture Fund
NMotion by gener8tor
Multiple Autism Technology Accelerator
Read more about our story
News
Latest from Ama
Announcements
Ama AI Awarded $250,000 US Department of Education IES SBIR Phase IB Grant
Funding will extend Ama’s personalized support platform into inclusive classrooms for students, peers, teachers, and staff.
Read more →
Announcements
Ama AI Wins $25,000 in 21st John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition
Ama AI took second place and $25,000 in Iowa’s statewide venture competition.
Read more →
Product updates
August 2026 Update
Talk or type with Ama, plus new guessing games and scavenger hunts.
Read more →