A transparent longitudinal diary, not a diagnostic engine.
ASH is intended to preserve repeated observations across the menstrual cycle so that a professional can interpret them alongside the rest of the clinical picture.
Daily symptom domains
Fourteen core wellbeing and functioning domains use a consistent 1–6 scale.
Cycle context
Menstrual bleeding and cycle information can be reviewed alongside the symptom record.
Supplementary observations
ASD/ADHD-related domains are clearly separated from the core daily wellbeing score and can be enabled or disabled by the carer for each child.
Intended role
ASH provides structured recording and visualisation. It is not intended to replace clinical assessment, establish a diagnosis, determine causality or recommend treatment.
Longitudinal comparison rule
ASH deliberately withholds its repeated-pattern summary until at least three completed cycles are comparable. A comparable cycle requires sufficient daily records in both cycle days 5–12 and the seven days immediately before the next menstruation. The dashboard then reports descriptive means, differences and repetition counts. The three-cycle threshold and the 0.5-point display rule are ASH product rules, not diagnostic cutoffs.
Interpretation
The same pattern can have different explanations. A repeated premenstrual rise with relatively lower scores outside that phase may be relevant when PMDD is being evaluated; a premenstrual rise on top of symptoms that remain present outside that phase may be relevant when PME is considered. A professional may interpret the diary alongside psychiatric history, medication, stressors, sleep, neurodevelopmental factors and menstrual history.
Autism-related domains
Sensory sensitivity, need for sameness, shutdown/overwhelm, executive functioning, impulsivity/restlessness and communication effort are tracked as supplementary longitudinal domains. They are not presented as PMDD diagnostic criteria and are not folded into safety information.
Safety information
Self-harm and suicide-related answers are treated as separate safety information rather than being folded into the ordinary symptom total. The carer can disable the safety question set; days when it was not asked are identified as such rather than reported as “no alert”. ASH is not continuously monitored and does not contact emergency services.
Identity minimisation
Child profiles can use nicknames. Legal names, date of birth, school, address and location are not required by the diary. Families identify themselves to their own professional outside ASH if they choose to share the record.