Early Intervention Therapy for Children with Delayed Development: Enabling Access in India's Rural Communities (Graduation)

In India, people with disability, particularly children with delayed development, are extremely marginalized. In Tamil Nadu, 45% of children with disabilities do not attend school, compared to 3% of all children in India. Early intervention (EI) therapies have been proven particularly effective for children with, or at risk of, developmental delays, including increasing their educational and developmental gains. Unfortunately, EI therapy remains inaccessible for most children in rural communities; the top three documented barriers to healthcare in Tamil Nadu include cost, a lack of services available in the area and transportation. These barriers have contributed to a substantial treatment gap with only 15% of preschoolers with delayed development in the State having access to therapy in any form. With support from a GCC Stars in Global Health seed grant, the team at Amar Seva Sangam (ASSA) sought to bridge the gap in access to services among this highly vulnerable group, collaborating with JK Technology Ltd. to devise an early intervention application called Mobile Village Based Rehabilitation Initiative (mVBRI). The tablet-based app has allowed ASSA to offer EI services to children with delayed development who would otherwise not be able to access care by connecting Community Rehabilitation Workers (CRWs) to rehabilitation specialists located remotely. The tablet-based app also provides CRWs a variety of therapy resources for both CRWs and caregivers. This model has proven effective at providing those with no access to services with specialized treatment for developmental delay in the home, reducing the barriers to access due to cost and limited local expertise.