How to compare autism behavior month to month
The best way to compare autism behavior month to month is to track a simple daily rating (Bad, Okay, or Good) over time, then calculate averages for each period you want to compare. This turns vague impressions ("I think October was worse?") into concrete data ("October had 18 Bad days; November had 11").
Why Month-to-Month Comparison Matters
Parents of children with autism often feel like they're on a rollercoaster with no map. A terrible week makes you panic that everything is falling apart. A good week makes you hopeful—until the next crash.
Without long-term tracking, you can't answer basic questions:
Is this a temporary setback or a real regression?
Are things actually improving, or does it just feel that way today?
Did the new medication help over 3 months, or just the first 2 weeks?
Month-to-month comparison gives you the perspective that daily chaos obscures.
Method 1: Simple Spreadsheet with Monthly Averages
A basic spreadsheet lets you compare periods with actual numbers.
Daily tracking:
| Date | Rating |
|---|---|
| 12/1 | Bad |
| 12/2 | Okay |
| 12/3 | Good |
| ... | ... |
Convert to numbers for averaging:
Bad = 1, Okay = 2, Good = 3
At the end of each month, average the numbers
Compare: "October averaged 1.8; November averaged 2.3"
What this tells you:
Upward trend = things are improving overall, even if individual days are rough
Downward trend = something changed—investigate medication, sleep, school, or hidden stressors
Flat trend = stable, which might be good or might mean interventions aren't working
Pros: Free; gives you concrete numbers; shows trends over time Cons: Only tells you that things changed, not why; requires consistent daily logging; you have to remember to calculate averages
Method 2: Quick Notes + Periodic ChatGPT Analysis
If a spreadsheet feels like too much structure, capture quick notes and use ChatGPT to analyze trends.
Ongoing capture:
Jot a sentence when something notable happens: "Rough week. Multiple meltdowns, sleep was bad."
Include any major events: "Started new school," "Medication increased," "Dad traveling for work"
Monthly analysis:
Paste your notes into ChatGPT
Ask: "Compare the overall tone and patterns from October vs November. Did things seem better or worse? What changed?"
ChatGPT can summarize themes and shifts you'd miss scanning text yourself
Pros: Low daily effort; AI does the comparison work Cons: Only as good as what you remembered to note; ChatGPT isn't HIPAA compliant; no precise numbers
Method 3: AI-Powered Longitudinal Tracking (VillageMetrics)
If you want to compare months without manual calculation—and understand why things changed—VillageMetrics tracks everything automatically.
How it works:
Record daily voice notes about how things went
The AI scores each day against your child's behavior goals
Ask questions like: "Compare October to November" or "How has aggression changed over the past 3 months?"
What you get:
Automatic trend charts: See behavior scores over any time range without building spreadsheets
Context for the numbers: "November was better overall, but meltdowns increased on school days—likely related to the new teacher you mentioned on Nov 3"
Correlation insights: "Bad months tend to follow when #SleepIssues appears frequently in your journals"
Medication overlay: See behavior trends mapped against medication changes to evaluate what's working
Pros: No manual calculation; captures why not just what; answers questions in natural language Cons: Subscription cost; requires consistent voice journaling
Which Method Should You Choose?
| If you... | Use this |
|---|---|
| Want free and structured | Spreadsheet with numeric ratings |
| Want low effort, less precision | Quick notes + ChatGPT |
| Want automatic trends with context | VillageMetrics |
| Need to correlate behavior with medications | VillageMetrics (tracks both together) |
The key is consistency over perfection. A rough month-to-month comparison with missing days is still far more useful than relying on memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do I need to track for a valid comparison?
Aim for at least 20 days per month to get a meaningful average. A few missed days won't ruin your data, but if you only have 5 entries for October, the comparison won't be reliable. Imperfect data beats no data—just be aware of gaps when interpreting.
What if the months seem the same but something feels different?
Trust your instinct—then dig deeper. "Same average" can hide important shifts. Maybe the number of Bad days is the same, but they're now clustered on weekends instead of spread out. Or the Bad days are less intense even if equally frequent. This is where context (notes or voice journals) becomes valuable.
How do I present this data to doctors?
Keep it simple: "In October we averaged X Bad days per month. Since we changed the medication in November, we're averaging Y." Doctors appreciate trends more than raw numbers. If you're using VillageMetrics, you can show them charts or read an AI-generated summary.
Ready to stop flying blind? VillageMetrics turns your daily voice notes into the data doctors need to help your child.