A portable audio/video recorder for longitudinal study of child development

Abstract

Collection and analysis of ultra-dense, longitudinal observational data of child behavior in natural, ecologically valid, non-laboratory settings holds significant promise for advancing the understanding of child development and developmental disorders such as autism. To this end, we created the Speechome Recorder - a portable version of the embedded audio/video recording technology originally developed for the Human Speechome Project - to facilitate swift, cost-effective deployment in home environments. Recording child behavior daily in these settings will enable detailed study of developmental trajectories in children from infancy through early childhood, as well as typical and atypical dynamics of communication and social interaction as they evolve over time. Its portability makes possible potentially large-scale comparative study of developmental milestones in both neurotypical and developmentally delayed children. In brief, the Speechome Recorder was designed to reduce cost, complexity, invasiveness and privacy issues associated with naturalistic, longitudinal recordings of child development.