TRACK (Tools for Reading to Acquire Content Knowledge): An Intelligent Application for Middle and High School Students with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

This project develops and evaluates an intelligent web-based application, Tools for Reading to Acquire Content Knowledge (TRACK) for middle and high school students with neurocognitive deficits such as individuals with learning disabilities, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, traumatic brain injury, or autism spectrum disorder. Applying a participatory action research approach, investigators engage recognized content experts, collaborate with the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training (CBIRT), and engage stakeholders such as students, teachers, and parents to address issues with cognitive processing (e.g., memory, executive functioning, focus, reading comprehension) that interfere with learning and retaining educational content and often result in poorer academic outcomes and transition rates into post-secondary education and thereby affecting overall live outcomes. TRACK uses evidence-based learning strategies, natural language processing technology, and the highly customizable user interface and user experience design, integrating them into one easy to use, cost-effective application that students can use any time they learn from informational text with any curriculum across grade levels, subjects, and users with various level of cognitive impairment. With this innovative approach, this project aims to enhance long term workforce participation and community living through educational retention for students with neurocognitive deficits.