MapHabit

12/18/2025

2025 has been a milestone year for traumatic brain injury research.

A recent article published in The Lancet Neurology, “Major advances in traumatic brain injury research in 2025,” highlights just how transformative this year has been for understanding and treating TBI.

Researchers now recognize TBI as a chronic condition, marked by prolonged biomarker changes and long-term comorbidities. This shift moves the field beyond acute response, toward lifelong monitoring, tailored support, and better care planning.

2025 also brought a new TBI classification framework designed to capture the true heterogeneity of brain injuries. This framework opens the door to more personalized treatment pathways and more precise clinical trials. Alongside emerging therapeutic approaches, there is renewed hope for improved outcomes across the TBI community.

At MapHabit, we follow these developments closely because advances like these shape the broader landscape of cognitive health, rehabilitation, and long-term support.

If you’re interested in where TBI science is headed next, this article is well worth the read:

2025 marked a turning point in traumatic brain injury (TBI) research, with studies now showing that TBI is a chronic condition characterised by prolonged biomarker elevations and long-term comorbidities, fundamentally shifting clinical management from acute intervention to lifelong monitoring and ca...

12/17/2025

For care managers, one small change can shift everything.

In our latest blog, we shared an example of “Amy,” a care manager supporting a young adult with autism. Before MapHabit, most of her time disappeared into coordinating routines between staff and family. After introducing visual maps, her client began completing morning and evening tasks independently while Amy monitored task completion without constant check-ins.

This is what assistive technology looks like when it works with the Circle of Support, not against it:
✔️ Clearer communication
✔️ Consistent follow-through
✔️ More time for meaningful, person-centered outcomes

We’ve got more real-world examples and insights in the blog—keep an eye out, and check the graphic below for a quick snapshot.

12/16/2025

What a great couple of days at the GATE Conference in Kennesaw, GA!

We had an awesome time last week connecting with educators, therapists, clinicians, and vendors from across the Metro Atlanta area—and sharing how MapHabit supports students with disabilities through assistive technology. It was especially meaningful to see our CEO, Matt, present and engage in conversations around practical, classroom-ready solutions.

Huge shoutout to Amanda and the GATE team for putting together such a welcoming and impactful event.

12/15/2025

A new era for Alzheimer’s diagnosis is taking shape.

Think Global Health’s latest article, “A New Era for Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis,” outlines just how quickly the diagnostic landscape is evolving, and what it could mean for millions of families worldwide.

For decades, Alzheimer’s has been diagnosed too late, too inconsistently, and too inequitably. But, 2025 marked real progress:

🔬 Blood-based biomarkers are becoming a game changer.
With recent FDA clearances, simple blood tests could reduce the need for expensive scans and help identify Alzheimer’s earlier — even in primary care settings.

📱 Digital biomarkers are opening new possibilities for early detection.
App-based assessments, speech analysis, and passive monitoring through everyday devices are helping catch cognitive changes long before traditional tools can.

🧬 Molecular profiling is revealing the true complexity of Alzheimer’s.
Large-scale omics datasets and emerging approaches like extracellular vesicle analysis are helping researchers detect disease subtypes and understand individual variation.

🔗 Multimodal approaches show the greatest promise.
Integrating blood biomarkers, digital data, imaging, and genetic information could enable more personalized and accurate diagnoses.

At the same time, the article underscores the ongoing challenges: ensuring diverse representation in research, integrating new tools into clinical workflows, and building systems that make early detection accessible—not just possible.

For those of us working in cognitive health and daily support, these advances matter. Earlier and more accurate diagnosis can help people access appropriate care sooner, engage in proactive support strategies, and maintain independence longer.

We'll share the link to the the full article in the comments.

12/12/2025

Today, on Universal Health Coverage Day, we’re joining a global call for change.

The 2025 theme—“Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!”—echoes a reality we see every day: too many families are forced to sacrifice basic needs just to access essential health services.

More than half the world’s population still can’t get the care they need. And for many, paying for support means financial hardship that affects housing, food, education, and overall stability.

At MapHabit, we’re working to change that.

Through Medicaid waivers, managed care partnerships, and emerging funding pathways, many individuals can receive MapHabit at no cost. We’re committed to lowering financial barriers and expanding coverage so cognitive support is accessible—not another burden on families already stretched thin.

Health coverage must be universal. Assistive support must be affordable. Families deserve both.

Learn more about available MapHabit funding here:https://hubs.ly/Q03WqbD30

12/10/2025

Medicaid plays a critical role in supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)—and new KFF data highlights just how essential that coverage is.

IDD affects an estimated 8–16 million people in the U.S., many of whom rely on Medicaid for long-term services, specialized supports, and care that private insurance typically does not cover.

Here are a few key takeaways from KFF’s latest analysis:

🔹 Children make up 82% of nonelderly Medicaid enrollees with IDD.
EPSDT benefits ensure kids receive comprehensive screening, therapy, and treatment—care that often isn’t available through private coverage.

🔹 How people qualify differs widely by age.
68% of children with IDD qualify for Medicaid based on income alone, while 76% of adults qualify through disability pathways—processes that tend to be more complex and burdensome.

🔹 Home- and community-based services (HCBS) are the backbone of support.
Roughly 729,000 people under 65 with IDD use Medicaid long-term care, and almost all rely on home care, not institutions. These services include supported employment, therapies, caregiver support, assistive technology, and more.

🔹 Waiting lists are long—and growing.
People with IDD represent 73% of all HCBS waiver waiting lists, with over 521,000 individuals waiting for essential services like personal care, behavioral supports, and home modifications.

🔹 People with IDD have higher care needs and spending.
Medicaid spends 4x more per child and 7x more per adult with I/DD compared to those without IDD. This reflects higher rates of chronic conditions and greater reliance on long-term services.

At MapHabit, we see every day how critical consistent, individualized support is for people with IDD and their caregivers. Tools that promote independence, daily structure, and skill-building—like our visual step-by-step maps—become even more important as families navigate coverage complexities and service gaps.

Read the full KFF analysis here:

Among the estimated 8 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), over three million have Medicaid coverage.

12/08/2025

MapHabit is thrilled to join the Georgia Assistive Technology in Education (GATE) Conference later this week in Kennesaw, GA.

Hosted by Georgia Assistive Technology for Educators, GATE brings together educators, therapists, parents, and community members to share best practices for using assistive technology to support learning and independence in the classroom.

Our Co-Founder, Dr. Stuart Zola, will be a presenter, and Adam Klein will join him in the exhibit hall to showcase how MapHabit empowers students, teachers, and families alike.

If you’re attending GATE, be sure to stop by the MapHabit booth and say hello! We’d love to connect and show you how visual supports can make a lasting difference.

12/04/2025

Transforming IDD care management starts with giving teams the right tools.

Care managers today navigate rising caseloads, high DSP turnover, and growing documentation demands—often without enough hours in the day to do the work that matters most.

Our latest blog breaks down how assistive technology like MapHabit helps close those gaps with shared visual routines, real-time communication, and clearer insight into daily progress.

If you support individuals with IDD, this one’s worth the read.

Explore the full post:

Discover how the MapHabit app empowers care managers by streamlining tasks and improving daily outcomes for individuals with IDD.

12/03/2025

Whether it’s a morning routine, fitness goal, or winding down at night, habits shape our days.

MapHabit makes those habits stick with visual guidance designed to meet people where they are—at home, school, or in the community.

Contact our team to learn more about how MapHabit can support healthy habits across all ages and abilities at https://hubs.ly/Q03VcVNp0.

12/02/2025

The new Rural Health Transformation Program marks a historic federal commitment to improving care in rural communities—$50B over five years to help states build stronger, more sustainable systems of care.

However, funding alone won’t close the gap. Real transformation happens when we give people tools that work in everyday life.

That’s where assistive and consumer-facing technologies play a powerful role.

MapHabit supports care teams, family caregivers, and individuals by making daily health routines clear, visual, and accessible, even in areas where broadband is limited.

In our latest blog, we explore how tools like MapHabit align with the program’s goals to expand access, strengthen the workforce, and bring innovation to every corner of rural America.

Read the full article:

Discover how MapHabit's assistive technology empowers independence in rural communities through visual mapping, enhancing care access and sustainability even in low-connectivity areas.

12/01/2025

New research from the UC Davis MIND Institute:

UC Davis has launched a new 5-year, NIH-funded study to better understand how young children with Down syndrome develop expressive communication — including gestures, signs, pictures, and spoken words.

The research team will follow 168 children ages 18–54 months to track how their communication skills grow over time. The goal is to create a clearer, more accurate guide that helps families and providers understand when certain milestones may appear and how to better tailor support.

At MapHabit, we’re always encouraged to see more research focused on communication development and real-world support for families.

🔗 Learn more about the study at the link in the comments.

11/27/2025

This Thanksgiving, we’re feeling especially grateful for the community around us—the caregivers, providers, and organizations who bring compassion and consistency to the people they support every day.

Thank you for letting MapHabit be a small part of the meaningful work you do. From all of us at MapHabit, we wish you a restful and happy Thanksgiving with your loved ones.