Example diagram

What Is Connect the Dots?

Behavior doesn't happen in a vacuum. Every meltdown, shutdown, or challenging moment has a context — triggers, environments, and outcomes that form patterns over time. Connect the Dots is a free visual mapping tool that helps caregivers see these connections clearly. Using a drag-and-drop canvas, you can create diagrams that link behaviors to their triggers, environmental factors, and outcomes, revealing patterns that might not be obvious from day-to-day experience.

Who Is This For?

Parents, caregivers, therapists, and educators who want to visualize and understand the relationships between behaviors, triggers, and environments for neurodivergent individuals. This tool is especially useful when you feel like you're seeing patterns but can't quite articulate them, or when you need to communicate complex behavioral dynamics to a care team.

Common Use Cases

• Mapping the chain of events leading to meltdowns to identify early warning signs
• Visualizing how environmental factors (noise, lighting, crowds) affect behavior
• Creating diagrams to share with therapists and IEP teams during meetings
• Importing patterns detected in your KeyAide chat conversations for visual analysis
• Tracking how interventions change behavior patterns over weeks and months

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different node types?

The tool uses five color-coded node types: Triggers (red) represent what initiates a behavior, Behaviors (orange) represent the observable action, Environments (blue) capture the setting and conditions, Outcomes (green) show what happened as a result, and Insights (purple) are your own observations and hypotheses connecting the dots.

Can I save and come back to my diagrams?

Yes. When signed in, your diagrams are automatically saved and you can create multiple diagrams for different behavioral patterns, different children, or different time periods. You can also export diagrams as JSON files for backup or sharing.

How do I import patterns from my chat conversations?

If you've discussed behavioral patterns with KeyAide in a chat session, you can import those detected patterns directly into a new diagram. Click "Import from Chat" in the toolbar to see patterns that have been identified in your conversations.

Can I share diagrams with my child's therapist or school?

Yes. Download any diagram as a PNG image to include in emails or documents for IEP meetings, therapy sessions, or medical appointments — or export it as a JSON file to back it up and re-import later.