Project Description
Challenge
Imagine worrying that something is not quite right with the way your infant is communicating or being told in preschool that your child has a significant speech delay. Next, imagine being on a waitlist for more than a year, and watching your child fall further behind in their language skills.
Sadly, such stories are common. One such story is described as being the driving force behind the founder’s creation of the innovative technology studied in this project (Nabavi, 2019).
It is estimated that four percent of Canadian preschoolers suffer from significant speech or language delay (CASLPA, 2005). While many of these issues begin during infancy, unfortunately they often go unnoticed until a child enters preschool, leaving behind formative years when intervention can make a substantial difference. Even when a child is identified as at-risk, wait times for proper assessment and intervention can exceed 12 months in many regions.
Babbly App Project Summary
Babbly is a smart-phone application that shows promise for monitoring early stages of speech development, and supporting parents with play-based interventions. This study will bring families and professionals together to test the ease of use and effectiveness of the Babbly application in infants with language delays, and those at risk.
Funding Partners
Kids Brain Health Network – $118,180
Babbly – $25,800 in-kind
Contributions as of February 2023
Team
Principal Investigators
Dr. Anna McCormick, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
Dr. Christopher Fennell, University of Ottawa
Co-Investigators
Dr. Hana Alazem, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
Dr. Nick Barrowman, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
Dr. Matthew Bromwich, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
Dr. Miriam Maarse, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
Partner Lead
Shane Saunderson, Babbly Inc
Stakeholder
Shelley Frappier, Family Advisor
