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The Hashtag System: Automatic Activity & Context Categorization

VillageMetrics automatically generates hashtags from your journal entries to categorize and analyze the content. These hashtags form the foundation for understanding patterns in your child's behavior, identifying what works, and discovering triggers.

Understanding Hashtags

What Are Hashtags?

Hashtags are automatically generated labels that categorize different aspects of your journal entries. Unlike social media hashtags that you choose yourself, VillageMetrics hashtags are created entirely by AI analysis of your spoken content - you don't choose or modify them.

The AI analyzes every journal entry and generates hashtags across 15+ categories to identify patterns, correlations, and insights. These hashtags are then correlated with your behavior goal scores to reveal what factors are associated with better or worse days.

Examples:

  • Activities: #Swimming, #ABAtherapy, #ReadingBooks
  • People: #Therapist, #Sibling, #Grandparents
  • Emotions: #Frustration, #Excitement, #Anxiety
  • Behavior Concepts: #SensorySeeking, #TransitionDifficulties, #AttentionSeeking
  • Places: #School, #Grocerystore, #Park

Why Hashtags Matter

The real power of hashtags comes from correlation analysis. Each hashtag is automatically correlated with your behavior goal scores to reveal patterns you might miss:

  • Positive correlations: Hashtags like #Swimming might show +20% higher behavior scores when present
  • Negative correlations: Hashtags like #Grocerystore might show -15% lower behavior scores
  • Trigger identification: Patterns that consistently appear before challenging days
  • Strategy validation: Proof that specific interventions actually improve behavior
  • Environmental insights: Which settings, people, and activities support or challenge your child
  • Data-driven decisions: Replace guesswork with evidence about what works

Hashtag Categories

VillageMetrics organizes hashtags into 15+ distinct categories, each serving a specific analytical purpose:

1. Activities

  • What it includes: Actions, tasks, and structured activities

  • Examples:

  • Therapeutic: #ABAtherapy, #Speechtherapy, #Occupationaltherapy

  • Educational: #Homework, #Reading, #Mathpractice
  • Recreational: #Swimming, #ArtsAndCrafts, #GameNight, #ReadingBooks
  • Daily living: #Bathing, #Gettingdressed, #Mealtime
  • Social: #Playdate, #Familygamenight, #Birthdayparty

2. People

  • What it includes: Individuals who played significant roles in described events (by relationship/role, not specific names)

  • Examples:

  • Family: #Sibling, #Grandparents, #Cousin

  • Professionals: #Teacher, #Therapist, #Doctor
  • Peers: #Friend, #Classmate, #Neighbor
  • Caregivers: #Babysitter, #Aide

3. Places

  • What it includes: Locations where activities occurred

  • Examples:

  • Home environments: #Livingroom, #Bedroom, #Backyard, #Kitchen

  • Community: #Grocerystore, #Park, #Library, #Restaurant
  • Educational: #Classroom, #Playground, #Schoolcafeteria
  • Medical: #Doctorsoffice, #Therapyclinic, #Hospital

4. Emotions

  • What it includes: Emotional states and feelings observed

  • Examples:

  • Positive: #Happiness, #Excitement, #Pride, #Contentment

  • Challenging: #Frustration, #Anxiety, #Sadness, #Anger
  • Neutral: #Calm, #Focused, #Tired, #Bored
  • Complex: #Overwhelmed, #Confused, #Disappointed

5. Behavior Concepts (Expert-Curated)

  • What it includes: Key behavioral patterns and clinical concepts that our AI specifically looks for

  • Examples:

  • Regulation: #EmotionalDysregulation, #SensorySeeking, #Overstimulation

  • Social: #AttentionSeeking, #ControlSeeking, #TransitionDifficulties
  • Communication: #DelayedCompliance, #RigidThinking, #Frustration
  • Patterns: #PreferenceRituals, #ResistanceToChange

Note: These are expert-curated hashtags that our AI is specially trained to identify, but the AI also generates additional hashtags based on whatever appears in your specific journal entries.

6. Incidents

  • What it includes: Specific behavioral incidents or events

  • Examples:

  • Physical: #Aggression, #Hitting, #Throwing, #Selfinjury

  • Verbal: #Yelling, #Swearing, #Threats, #Refusal
  • Disruption: #Propertydestruction, #Runningaway, #Noncompliance
  • Safety: #Unsafebehavior, #Elopement, #Dangerousclimbing

7. Outcomes

  • What it includes: Results and consequences of activities or interventions

  • Examples:

  • Positive: #Successfulcompletion, #Independentachievement, #Breakthroughmoment

  • Neutral: #Partialsuccess, #Mixedresults, #Ongoingchallenge
  • Concerning: #Interventionneeded, #Escalation, #Unsuccessfulattempt

8. Intervention Methods

  • What it includes: Strategies, techniques, and interventions used

  • Examples:

  • Behavioral: #Positivereinforcement, #Tokensystem, #Visualschedule

  • Therapeutic: #Deepbreathing, #Sensorybreak, #Socialstory
  • Environmental: #Reducedstimulation, #Quietspace, #Structuredroutine
  • Communication: #Picturecards, #Verbalprompting, #Modeling

9. Root Causes

  • What it includes: Hypothesized reasons for behaviors or challenges

  • Examples:

  • Physical: #Hunger, #Fatigue, #Illness, #Sensoryoverload

  • Emotional: #Stress, #Changeinroutine, #Separationanxiety
  • Environmental: #Toonoisy, #Crowdedspace, #Unfamiliarsetting
  • Social: #Peerconflict, #Attentionseeking, #Escapeavoidance

10. Time Periods

  • What it includes: When events occurred

  • Examples:

  • Daily: #Morningroutine, #Afternoon, #Bedtime, #Weekend

  • Specific: #Duringtherapy, #Atlunch, #Afterschool, #Beforemedication

11. Events

  • What it includes: Special occasions or notable happenings

  • Examples:

  • Planned: #Birthdayparty, #Fieldtrip, #Familyvacation, #Doctorappointment

  • Unplanned: #Firedrill, #Unexpectedvisitor, #Schedulechange, #Poweroutage

12. Food and Diet

  • What it includes: Eating-related content and dietary factors

  • Examples:

  • Meals: #Breakfast, #Lunch, #Dinner, #Snacktime

  • Foods: #Pizza, #Vegetables, #Preferredfoods, #Newfoods
  • Challenges: #Foodrefusal, #Texturesensitivity, #Mealtimebehaviors

13. Health Symptoms

  • What it includes: Physical health observations and symptoms

  • Examples:

  • General: #Tired, #Energetic, #Sick, #Allergicreaction

  • Specific: #Headache, #Stomachache, #Congestion, #Rash
  • Behavioral health: #Stimming, #Repetitivebehaviors, #Sleepissues

14. Actions

  • What it includes: Specific actions taken by child or caregivers

  • Examples:

  • Child actions: #Askedforhelp, #Followeddirections, #Initiatedinteraction

  • Caregiver actions: #Providedsupport, #Setboundary, #Offeredchoice
  • Interventions: #Implementedstrategy, #Modifiedenvironment, #Soughthelp

Expert-Curated Hashtags

What Makes Them Special

VillageMetrics includes a curated list of behaviorally significant hashtags developed by professionals in the autism and behavioral health field. These hashtags are specifically important for understanding behavioral patterns.

Key Areas:

  • Behavioral regulation concepts: Terms that matter for emotional and behavioral control
  • Common triggers: Well-known factors that often affect children with behavioral challenges
  • Therapeutic concepts: Important terms from ABA, occupational therapy, and other evidence-based practices
  • Safety considerations: Behaviors and situations that impact child safety

How They Work

  • Prioritized Recognition: AI specifically looks for these important concepts
  • Consistent Application: Same terms used across all analyses for reliable pattern tracking
  • Professional Relevance: Aligned with terminology used by therapists, doctors, and educators

Hashtag Display and Usage

In Journal Entries

Feed View: Shows up to 6 most relevant hashtags per entry

  • Click "X more" to see additional hashtags
  • Most behaviorally significant hashtags shown first
  • Total hashtag count may be much higher

Detailed View: Access to complete hashtag list

  • View full entry → See all generated hashtags
  • Organized by category for easy browsing
  • Click individual hashtags to understand their context

Hashtag Usage Numbers

  • Unique Hashtags: Count of different hashtags generated (e.g., #Swimming appears once in count)
  • Hashtag Uses: Total number of times all hashtags were applied (e.g., #Swimming used 17 times)

Why This Matters:

  • High usage numbers indicate frequently occurring activities or patterns
  • Helps identify the most common elements in your child's daily life
  • Useful for prioritizing which factors to focus on in analysis

Using Hashtags for Analysis

Correlation with Behavior Scores

Every hashtag is linked to the behavior scores from entries where it appears, enabling powerful insights:

Enhancers: Hashtags associated with higher-than-average behavior scores

  • Example: #Swimming might show +20% vs. average behavior score
  • Indicates activities that tend to support good behavior

Triggers: Hashtags associated with lower-than-average behavior scores

  • Example: #Grocerystore might show -15% vs. average behavior score
  • Helps identify challenging situations to prepare for

Pattern Recognition

Time-Based Patterns:

  • Which hashtags are more common during certain times of day/week
  • Seasonal patterns in activities and their effectiveness

Caregiver Patterns:

  • Different hashtags associated with different village members
  • Strategies that work better for certain caregivers

Environmental Insights:

  • How different locations affect behavior
  • Which settings are most supportive vs. challenging

Hashtag Analysis Views

Overview Analysis

Location: Analysis → Overview → Behavior Enhancers/Triggers

  • Shows top enhancing and triggering hashtags across all categories
  • Focuses on most impactful factors for overall behavior

Behavior Goals Analysis

Location: Analysis → Behavior Goals → Individual Goal Analysis

  • Hashtags specific to each behavior goal (e.g., what helps with "following directions" specifically)
  • More targeted insights for specific behavioral objectives

Hashtag Analysis Tab

Location: Analysis → Hashtags

  • Complete breakdown by category
  • Expandable sections for each hashtag type
  • Usage frequency and behavior impact for every hashtag
  • Most comprehensive view of all hashtag data

Best Practices for Hashtag Understanding

Interpreting Results

  • Consider Frequency: High-impact hashtags with low usage may be coincidental
  • Look for Patterns: Multiple related hashtags pointing in the same direction
  • Context Matters: Consider the full picture, not individual hashtag scores
  • Time Periods: Hashtag effectiveness may change as your child develops

Using Insights Practically

  • Enhance the Good: Increase activities/people/places associated with positive hashtags
  • Prepare for Challenges: Develop strategies for consistently triggering hashtags
  • Share with Team: Hashtag insights are valuable for therapists, teachers, and doctors
  • Track Changes: Monitor how hashtag patterns evolve with interventions

Hashtag Quality

  • Natural Speech: Hashtags are most accurate when you speak naturally about your day
  • Detail Helps: More context leads to more precise hashtag categorization
  • Consistency: Regular entries improve hashtag pattern reliability
  • Trust the System: AI hashtag generation is designed to capture subtle patterns you might miss

The hashtag system transforms the rich details in your journal entries into structured, analyzable data that reveals what's really working for your child and what situations need extra support or preparation.