Infant Motor Behavior: Potential and Challenges for Advanced Sensing and Analysis of Multi-Dimensional Data

Infant motor development is measured clinically using short, subjective, observational scales. While these scales are useful, they have limitations. They provide us with a “snapshot” of the infant’s performance at a certain point in time, when the infant may be tired or fussy, and do not capture the entire repertoire of an infant’s motor abilities. Further, due to their subjective nature and short observation window, these assessments lack sensitivity and specificity. Wearable sensors provide the ability to capture measurements across full days, providing quantitative data that can capture an infant’s true repertoire of movement skills. Wearable sensors have the potential to provide much more sensitive and specific assessment of motor development than current scales. This would support more accurate early identification of atypical development and identify more subtle responses to intervention. I will discuss the potential of using wearable sensors to measure infant movement patterns across full days in the natural environment, as well as limitations and challenges. In addition, I will discuss the potential of integrating wearable sensor measures of behavior with electroencephalography measures of brain function, as well as limitations and challenges.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Discuss 2 potential applications of wearable sensors to improve infant assessment and intervention.

2. Identify 2 challenges to application of wearable sensors to improve infant assessment and intervention.

3.Identify 1 challenge to the integration of wearable sensor measures of behavior with electroencephalography measures of brain function.