Chat With Beacon
Knows your child's profile, behaviors, sensory map and IEP context, so you do not re-explain every time.
When to Use This
Use Chat when you want a real answer to a real question without filing-cabinet research. Beacon is not generic ChatGPT: it remembers what you've logged in Beacon, knows your child's sensory profile, sees the most recent behavior pattern and brings the right tool (Voice, Workshop, IEP Translator, Sensory) into the conversation when you describe a need.
How It Works
Type or Speak the Question
Open Chat from the bottom nav. Type what's on your mind, or tap the mic to dictate. Beacon answers in parent-voice, not therapy-speak.
Beacon Remembers What You Told It
If you ask about a meltdown, Beacon knows the last 30 days of taps. If you ask about an IEP question, it knows what you uploaded. You don't re-explain your child every conversation.
Beacon Points You to the Right Tool
When you describe a need that fits a specific tool (voice instead of typing, generating an IEP letter, breaking down a document), Beacon names the tool inline and offers the shortcut.
Crisis Mode Is Always Free
Crisis Mode covers 8 scenarios (meltdown, shutdown, self-harm, public, elopement, transition, aggressive, parent meltdown). No message limit, no paywall, ever. Always-on safety net.
A Real Example
A parent on the Free plan uses up their 10 initial messages over the first few days, then bumps into the daily limit. Here's what the counter shows them:
| Date | Sent | Remaining |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 (Sign-Up) | 4 messages | 6 of initial 10 |
| Day 2 | 3 messages | 3 of initial 10 |
| Day 3 | 3 messages | 0 of initial 10 → daily-cap mode starts tomorrow |
| Day 4 | 3 messages | 0 of today's 3 → next message blocked until tomorrow |
| Day 4 (Crisis) | (any) | Crisis is always free; no limit applies |
What Beacon Auto-Knows
- Your child's profile (name, age band, any tags you set during onboarding).
- Your sensory profile (the 7-channel Seeker/Avoider/Mixer/Neutral map).
- The last 60 turns of this conversation.
- Today's behavior tap counts (the same counts the chip badges show).
- Your plan and how many messages you have left.
How It Fits With Chat
- Chat is the discussion. There's no separate Discuss-with-Beacon for the chat itself; the chat IS the discussion.
- If you're on a different feature page and you tap Discuss with Beacon, it opens a chat with that feature's context already attached.
Try These With Beacon
“We had a really hard morning. Can you help me figure out what set it off?”
Beacon checks today's behavior taps for clusters around the morning hours, asks one or two clarifying questions (sleep, food, transitions) and offers a likely-trigger shortlist instead of a generic empathy reply. If the answer needs sensory profile context (e.g., loud-vs-quiet morning), it uses your saved profile.
“I want to record this voice note instead of typing.”
Tap the microphone next to the message box and talk. Your recording turns into text and lands as a regular chat message you can continue from.
“Help me write the email to my child's teacher.”
Beacon offers two paths: (1) draft right here in chat using current context, or (2) hand off to the Workshop's IEP Advocacy Letter tool for a longer formal letter with structured sections. Lets you pick the right one for the moment.
“My partner doesn't understand why we can't just 'use timeout'. What do I say?”
Beacon scripts a parent-voiced, partner-aimed explanation grounded in your child's specific profile (e.g., 'her sensory-avoider response means isolation makes it worse, not better'). No lecturing. Practical.
“I'm at the end of my rope right now.”
Beacon changes its tone: validation first, no recommendations until you ask. If you stay in regular chat, Beacon stays with you instead of trying to fix.