Publications by authors named "Tania Villavicencio"

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of wearable physiology and movement sensors in identifying a spectrum of challenging behaviors, including self-injurious behavior (SIB), in children and teenagers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in real-world settings.

Approach: We utilized a long-short-term memory (LSTM) network with features derived using the wavelet scatter transform to analyze physiological biosignals, including electrodermal activity and skin temperature, alongside three-dimensional movement data captured via accelerometers. The study was conducted in naturalistic environments, focusing on participants' daily activities.

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Poor sleep quality in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) individuals is linked to severe daytime behaviors. This study explores the relationship between a prior night's sleep structure and its predictive power for next-day behavior in ASD individuals. The motion was extracted using a low-cost near-infrared camera in a privacy-preserving way.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A study analyzed data from 331 children with profound ASD to create a deep learning algorithm that predicts high-risk behaviors (aggression, elopement, self-injury) and seizure episodes for the next day.
  • * The model demonstrated significant accuracy in predicting these behaviors, highlighting the importance of using historical data for early intervention and better support in social and educational contexts.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates how the quality of sleep in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects their behavior the following day, focusing on severe daytime challenges like aggression and self-injury.
  • - Over two years, data from 14 individuals was gathered using a low-cost, privacy-friendly camera, with a total of over 2,000 nights recorded and analyzed for sleep patterns versus daytime behaviors.
  • - An advanced machine learning model was developed, achieving 74% accuracy in predicting morning behaviors, suggesting that monitoring sleep quality could lead to better behavioral management and support for individuals with ASD.
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Background: This retrospective chart review sought to determine whether the introduction of a safe person handling and mobility (SPHM) program resulted in changes to the frequency, severity, cost, or profile of staff injuries incurred during person handling (PH) tasks at long-term care settings for persons with complex conditions.

Methods: This study analyzed the SPHM program implementation at an organization providing long-term residential, day habilitation, and special education services for persons with complex conditions. Data covered two 4-year periods before and after implementation.

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Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in problem behavior, presenting significant challenges for those providing care and services for this population. Psychophysiological measures of arousal, such as electrodermal activity (EDA), may provide an early indication of subsequent problem behavior. However, variability in EDA patterns associated with behaviors may limit this predictive ability.

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