Can apps and digital resources aid your child with autism or ADHD? Here’s what to look for

Neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism affect approximately one in ten children. These conditions affect development, behavior and well-being.

However, children with these conditions and their caregivers often cannot get the support they need. Family report difficulties in access to health care facilities and experience long waiting lists for care.

Digital tools such as apps and websites are often seen as solutions to these gaps. With one click or download, families can access information to support their child.

There are many digital tools available, but it is hard to determine which ones are useful and which are not. Our new study assessed publicly available digital resources on children’s neurodevelopment and mental health to understand their quality and evidence base.

We found many of the resources to be functional and engaging. However, resources often lacked evidence to support the information provided and the alleged positive impact on children and families.

This is a common problem in the field of digital assets, where there are high expectations and claims about the impact of digital tools in transforming healthcare have not yet been implemented.

What kind of resources?

Our study we identified 3,435 separate resources, of which 112 (43 apps and 69 websites) met our evaluation criteria. All of these resources were intended to provide information or support regarding neurodevelopment, mental health and child well-being.

The resources had to be publicly available, in English, and contain useful information for children and families.

The most common focus was on autism, accounting for 17% of all resources. The resources suggested that they provided strategies to promote speech, language and social development and to support challenging behaviours.

Other common areas included language and communication (14%) and ADHD (10%).

The resources had a variety of purposes, including journaling and advice, planning support and providing activities and strategies for parents. Resources provided information in an interactive manner, and some applications organized content into structured modules.

The resources also provided alternative and augmentative communication opportunities for people with language or communication difficulties.

Most applications were functional and accessible

Our first question was how engaging and accessible the information was. Resources that are hard to operate are not used oftenregardless of the quality of the information.

We assessed aesthetics, including: whether digital tools are basic to operate and navigate, stylistically consistent, with clear and user-attractive graphics.

Most resources were rated as highly engaging, with high accessibility and functionality.

However, many of them did not have valuable information

We rated resources on a variety of characteristics from 1 (inadequate) to 5 (excellent), with a ranking of 3 considered acceptable. These assessments looked at the credibility of the resource and whether there was evidence to support it.

Despite their functionality, 37% of the apps assessed did not meet minimum acceptable information quality standards. This means that many applications cannot be recommended. Most websites performed better than apps.

There was also little scientific evidence to suggest that using apps or digital resources actually helped families. Research shows long-term operate of digital tools is uncommon, and downloading does not translate into repeated operate or benefits.

Digital tools are often seen as a panacea for gaps in healthcare, but the evidence does not yet show they are filling these gaps. Digital health is a rapidly changing field, with resources being shared frequently before they were properly assessed.

What should you look for in digital resources?

We have found that the highest quality resources have been developed in collaboration with institutions such as healthcare, universities and government groups.

One of the highly rated resources was Raising children’s nets and related application, Raising healthy minds. They are developed together with the university and hospital and by people with appropriate qualifications.

This resource provides information to support children’s overall health, development and wellbeing, with dedicated sections on neurodevelopmental needs and concerns.

Our research shows that parents can judge whether digital resources are of high quality by checking whether:

• actually correct. Check where an app or resource gets its information from. Is the author qualified and trained to convey the information? Is a registered health expert accountable to a regulatory body (such as AHPRA, the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Agency) for providing information that does not cause harm?

• consistent from many reliable sources, such as health care institutions.

• associated with supporting information. Look for reliable links to reputable institutions. Links to peer-reviewed journals are often helpful because these articles usually also describe the limitations of the research presented.

• current. Apps should be updated frequently. For websites, update dates are usually found on the home page or at the bottom of individual pages.

Watch out for red flags

Here are some things to pay attention to:

• testimonies and anecdotes without evidence and scientific links to support the anecdotes. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

• no information about conflict of interest. Organizations benefit when you click on their links or take their advice (financial, reputational and brand development). Think about what they will gain when you operate their information to maintain a balanced perspective.

Please remember that an app’s star rating does not mean it will contain factual information from a reliable source or will be helpful to you or your child.

The role of digital tools

Digital tools typically won’t replace a healthcare professional, but they can support care in many different ways. They can be used to educate and prepare for meetings and to collaborate with healthcare providers.

They can also be used to collect information about daily needs. For example, research shows that reporting sleep in children can be extremely hard. But tracking sleep behavior with actigraphyin which movement and activity patterns are measured using a wearable device, can provide information to support clinical care. With the promise of artificial intelligence, it will also appear new possibilities to support everyday life.

However, our findings reflect a broader digital health issue. There is often a lot of investment in the development of products that encourage their operate by making false claims about health benefits.

We need a system that prioritizes funding, implementation and evaluation of tools that demonstrate benefits for families. Only then will we be able to realize the potential of digital tools to benefit those who operate them.