Vocal Recordings
Capture the Soundtrack of Your Child’s Development
At the Marcus Autism Center, Dr. Gordon Ramsay leads the Spoken Communication Lab, where his research focuses on understanding early vocal development and its impact on speech and language. By using innovative technologies like wearable recorders, prenatal ultrasound, and motion capture, Dr. Ramsay and his team examine how infants interact with their caregivers and the environment from their earliest moments. These studies explore the developmental pathways of social behaviors, which are important for understanding the diverse ways children develop.
Dr. Ramsay emphasizes that early interactions between infants and caregivers are crucial for language development. By studying these early behaviors, his research aims to identify potential developmental differences as early as possible, when timely support and interventions can most effectively promote optimal development. The goal is to provide families with tools and insights that support their child’s unique developmental journey as they learn to talk.
How Are the Recordings Made?
The Language Environment Analysis (LENA) device we use is a small, wearable recorder that helps us understand how children begin to talk and interact with their environment through their voice. The device is worn on your baby's chest in specially designed clothing like a miniature microphone, capturing all the sounds around your child as well as the sounds they make.
By analyzing the sounds recorded by the LENA device, we can learn more about what children are hearing and saying during their everyday activities as they grow and learn. This helps us understand how speech and language develops and provides valuable insights into the unique ways that children with autism or other developmental differences engage with language and communication.
How Can the Recordings Help Us Understand Autism?
The audio recordings help us explore how children with autism learn to talk and interact with others. Children with autism may communicate in different ways or have difficulties with speech and language learning. All-day recordings we collect in this study give us a deeper understanding of patterns of vocal communication and social interaction across the autism spectrum from the moment children are born to the time they can talk. The data we collect help us understand the different pathways infants and caregivers follow together on the road to spoken language, so that we can develop better ways of navigating those pathways to ensure that every child has a voice. At the end of this study, we will be able to detect early signs of autism better, and we will be able to develop better therapies to support children and their caregivers in developing communication skills, using strategies that build on each child’s strengths and can be tailored to each child’s needs.
Meet Our Vocal Recordings Team
When it comes to capturing your child’s unique sounds, we’ve got a team ready to make it all happen! From giggles to coos, our expert team is here to ensure that each home recording day is smooth and enjoyable. Whether it’s helping you make the recordings, scheduling your mailings, or answering questions about your baby’s development, they’re the friendly faces behind the scenes, making sure everything goes off without a hitch.
No need for a studio setup or fancy equipment—just a regular day, some precious moments, and a whole lot of developmental insights! Our team is here to make it easy and fun, because we know that every sound counts in understanding your child’s journey.
Christine Prechtel, PhD
Gordon Ramsay, PhD
About Participation in Vocal Recordings
What will I be asked to do with my child?
As part of this study, you’ll help us by making audio recordings of a typical day in your child’s life at home once a month. Your child will wear a small, recording device inside a comfortable romper which is specifically designed not to interfere with your child’s normal activities. The recording device is small and discreet, and comfortable for your child to wear throughout the day. This device will capture all the sounds your child hears and makes throughout the day, including conversations and everyday noises.
How will the recordings be made?
We will ask you to collect these recordings from your child during their first three years of life, from 0 to 36 months of age. You’ll record your child for a whole day once a month, allowing us to track their vocal development, social interactions and communication patterns over time. We will need 8-12 hours of recording time to get a meaningful sample of a day in your child's life. After each recording, the device will be picked up from your home by your regular mailperson and sent back to the Marcus Autism Center so we can analyze the sounds your child made, the sounds they were exposed to and how they engaged with their environment.
How will I be compensated for my time and effort?
We greatly appreciate your involvement in this important research! To thank you for your time and effort, you will receive $20 for each monthly recording you submit. This compensation helps acknowledge the valuable role you play in advancing our understanding of child development. You will receive this payment each month following the submission of your recording. The payment will be uploaded to an electronic payment card we give you, as soon as we receive each recorder.
Frequently Asked Questions