General Background
CDC Milestone Tracker Mobile App is a free application that helps track and encourage children’s milestones of early development. It was created and launched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the basis of their “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program (CDC, 2021). Students from the Computing for Good program at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, and Dr. Rosa Arriaga contributed to the app’s development as well (CDC, 2021). Although the Milestone Tracker app cannot substitute standardized and validated developmental screening tools, it uses credible information developed and approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics. CDC’s Milestone Tracker is available on Google Play Store and the App Store for mobile devices. In general, the mobile platform may be regarded as more comfortable as the app may be used at any time and any place to provide time-sensitive results. The app is for wide distribution and may be downloaded and used all over the world. However, it is available only in English and Spanish languages.
With a family-friendly and comprehensive interface, the app may be easily used by almost any person without instructions. All functions are placed in the menu for quick navigation. First of all, it provides an opportunity to add personalized information about a child or several children to save data concerning development, from receiving milestone summaries to viewing and sharing with care providers. The most important part of the app that determines its purpose is interactive milestone checklists illustrated with videos and photos to track children’s developmental progress (CDC, 2021). Parents or other caregivers should simply answer questions to receive results related to the child’s progress. In addition, illustrations help users to understand what milestones should look like. For children born prematurely, there is updated functionality and adjusted checklists (CDC, 2021). In addition, the app contains essential tips for parents and activities for children to encourage growth and development and specific information to identify potential developmental delays at early stages and consult with a doctor. Finally, Milestone Tracker may be used to track the child’s medical appointment and receive recommendations concerning developmental screenings.
The purpose of this app is to easily track a child’s developmental milestones from the age of 2 months to 5 years old, get recommendations to encourage a child’s development, and receive information if any development-related concerns occur. At the same time, Milestone Tracker may be used not only by parents but by health care providers, home visitors, and education providers as well for developmental surveillance and better understanding and family involvement in a child’s progress. It might affect clinical decision-making if any potential developmental delays that require specific treatment are detected. At the same time, this application cannot be regarded as harmful for children as it is designed for parents’ education, not intervention. It cannot substitute clinical screening – instead, it helps detect health issues and address them as early as possible.
Milestone Tracker’s privacy is regulated by CDC’s mobile privacy policy that may be found in the app. It states that information concerning the number of completed actions and interactions is gathered by a third-party provider (“Mobile privacy policy,” 2021). However, CDC does not share, sell, transfer, or disclose any information about their digital media users, and the violation of this privacy policy is subject to criminal prosecution (“Mobile privacy policy,” 2021). In addition, Milestone Tracker does not collect, share, or publish any personal information that can identify either a user or a child.
CDC’s Mobile Tracker uses credible information approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Based on the “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” The program is constantly updated – it was updated in 2021 as well. As previously mentioned, the information contained in the app was developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and is consistent with modern standards of care. That is why it may be used by health care providers and educators, affect clinical decision-making, and initiate more detailed screening if any development-related concerns appear.
Application
CDC Milestone Tracker Mobile App aims to help parents and health care providers track the child’s developmental progress and detect any delays in order to address them as soon as possible. The app may be used to detect autism if some warning signs are observed. In general, according to Sturner et al. (2017), “the characteristic odd and repetitive behaviors associated with autism may not appear until the end of the second year” (p. 3180). In addition, due to different manifestations, screening tests cannot identify the disorder when signs are not manifested or are less obvious. Thus, on the one hand, screening may be postponed until signs are clear. On the other hand, health care providers and parents should undertake all efforts to detect any disorder at the early stages of development for intervention that will provide better outcomes in the future. That is why Milestone Tracker should be used to track the child’s progress to confirm or reject autism preliminary before the screening.
In this scenario, Mrs. Johnson attended a regular medical appointment in a hospital for her 4-month-old son Harry. At this age, children should start playing and babbling and be able to focus on interesting objects and movements and smile. However, Mr. Campbell, Harry’s pediatrician, noticed that the boy did not smile or show interest in things around him. In addition, he did not try to babble, imitate noises, grab objects, or place them in his mouth. It goes without saying that the doctor took into consideration that for every child, developmental progress and reaching milestones is individual. He could not deny the fact that Harry’s development was slower though harmonious. However, in order to be sure that Harry’s condition is under control, Mr. Campbell advised Mrs. Johnson to download CDC Milestone Tracker Mobile App to track Harry’s development. He wanted to know whether he would reach milestones in time or if delays would be more obvious and subsequent screening to detect autism would be required.
Mrs. Johnson agreed with the doctor and downloaded the app the same day at home. She put all information concerning her son (name, age, and the absence of premature birth) and started to track his development, answering questions related to his abilities at a particular age. When Harry was two years old, he did not speak in phrases, knew few words, and demonstrated regression in particular skills. He was unable to follow simple directions and focus on basic activities. In addition, he could not use particular toys and objects, including a hairbrush, toothbrush, and eating utensils. Thus, with the help of the CDC Milestone Tracker Mobile App. Mrs. Johnson clearly detected substantial delays in Harry’s development to make the autism screening test fully expedient.
References
CDC. (2021). CDC’s Milestone Tracker App. CDC. Web.
Mobile privacy policy. (2021). CDC. Web.
Sturner, R., Howard, B., Bergmann, P., Stewart, L., & Afarian, T. E. (2017). Comparison of autism screening in younger and older toddlers. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(10), 3180-3188. Web.