1.3 million children in the US have language problems and trouble with picking up language skills, which means visits to doctos and speech therapists, often ending up in a misdiagnosis. This new app is designed to help language skills and encourage communication between parent and child.
The app, called 'TalkBetter' was designed in South Korea by computer scientists, who worked with speech pathologists. It analyses the ebb and flow of language between parent and child and gives clinically-relevant advice to guide the interaction and improve skills and communication.
Parents will wear a bluetooth headset and microphone, while the child will use a microphone, which will be connected to the parent's smartphone. The app then examines the recorded exchanges and gives tips, such as letting the parent know when they're talking too fast, or not being clear enough. Feedback so far has been extremely positive.
Stephen Hannon, president of LENA Research Foundation in Boulder, Colorado, acknowledges the positive effect of the app, but worries about technology 'babying' parents. Though he says the app will, in the long term, help children with academic development.
What's your opinion? Are we relying to much on technology? Or is the develpment of this app a helping hand for a parent?
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