SGER: Technologies to Support Early Detection of Developmental Delay in Children

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This Small Grant for Exploratory Research will develop and study a system to improve parent-professional communication about child development through improved data capture of home experiences. Advanced information technologies, particularly those embedded into natural environments like the home, present a novel, but currently untested opportunity for early detection of developmental delay in very young children. Positive results from this initial exploration could lead to a dramatic transformation in the tools available to researchers to detect and better understand developmental delay. Analogous to how the technologies of X-Rays and MRIs transformed the exploration of orthopedics and neurology, respectively, this project will explore the potential of computer-based tools to support the imaging of behavior to transform the science underlying childhood development.Simplified behavior capture in the home is a technological approach that can rapidly catalyze a growing community of technology researchers interested in family-related applications. The specific goal of this research is to demonstrate how semi-automated analysis of video-recorded behaviors can connect the computational perception community to the behavioral sciences communities, through the specific challenges of early detection of autism. The earlier that educational interventions are started with atypically developing children, the more effective they are in helping the children cope with the disabilities. The broader impacts of this innovative research are expected to include improvements in educational and health-related assessment, and new tools for families to preserve rich records of their children's early development.