Supporting Early Communication Skills of Children With Developmental Disorders in South Africa

Using a mobile health application (i.e. app) to empower primary caregivers of young children with developmental disorders in low- and middle-income countries is opening up new avenues for early childhood intervention. Thirteen caregivers and ten speech-language pathologists participated in three focus groups to explore their perspectives about the potential benefits and suitability of a mobile health app as part of intervention, its features, the likelihood of using and recommending it, as well as potential pitfalls to be avoided. Both participant groups were generally positive, although there was little overlap between their responses. Caregivers generally focused on increased knowledge and skills (of all family members), as well as on empowerment and reduced costs. Speech-language pathologists on the other hand focused on how current service delivery would be enriched by increasing the dosage of therapy and enhancing parental cooperation. They also expected that the reach of service delivery would be expanded as more children and caregivers could potentially benefit. Although technology (i.e. mobile apps) could open up new possibilities for service delivery in this population, the perspectives of all stakeholder groups should be considered to ensure successful adoption of such technologies.