About this project
We are developing a new tool called the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Ecological Tracker (N-DET)—a caregiver-report diary designed to track daily behaviors in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as autism and rare genetic conditions. Our goal is to measure how key symptoms change over time, in real-world settings, using a method that is easy to complete at home.
Most existing tools were designed for diagnosis and are not well suited to track small changes—especially for children with more significant challenges. N-DET aims to change that. It captures rich, day-to-day information about behaviors like irritability, repetitive actions, social interactions, and communication in a way that is sensitive, flexible, and grounded in daily life.
Why does it matter?
Young children with NDDs often show changes in their behaviors that are hard to capture in clinical settings. Parents notice these changes—but traditional assessments miss them because they are too infrequent, rely on memory, or don’t reflect what happens at home.
By giving caregivers a simple daily tool to record behaviors, we can gain a much clearer picture of how a child is doing. This is especially important for understanding whether treatments are helping—and for tailoring support to each child’s needs. As new therapies are being developed for genetic and neurodevelopmental conditions, we urgently need tools that can detect meaningful change. The N-DET could fill that gap.
How it works
Daily Check-ins: Caregivers complete a brief (under 5-minute) survey each evening during selected weeks over 18 months.
Person-specific items: Each child’s profile includes tailored questions about their unique goals and challenges.
Validated content: The survey includes items on social interaction, play, communication, emotional behaviors, and more—adapted from gold-standard clinical tools.
Objective data: On one day each survey week, children wear a small audio recorder to capture natural vocal behavior, allowing us to analyze expressive communication patterns.
Flexible & accessible: All surveys and recordings are done at home using a secure, user-friendly platform.
What makes this project unique?
Daily life focus: Rather than relying on distant clinic visits, we track what’s happening at home, in real time.
Personalization: We combine standardized questions with items tailored to each child’s specific goals.
Sensitive to change: Our design supports early detection of progress—or setbacks—over time.
Clinical impact: Results can inform treatment planning and support more precise evaluation in clinical trials.