Enhancing Inclusive Education Through Mobile Technology : A Mobile App for Supporting Parents, Teachers, and Chidcare Providers of Children with and without Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Objective : Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) affect a significant percentage of children, with 4.4 ％ diagnosed and an additional 12.3 ％ suspected in Japan. Inclusive education is essential to support these children, yet current teaching methods in Japan often fail to accommodate their unique needs. To address the educational and parental support needs of pre-school to early primary school children with and without NDD, we aimed to develop a mobile application. Methods : Unstructured interviews with stakeholders, including preschool teachers, childcare workers, child psychiatrists, and parents, were conducted to understand the challenges faced by children with developmental concerns. A digital prototype was created based on initial feedback and further refined through additional interviews. The final application was evaluated through a post-release questionnaire. Results : Stakeholder interviews revealed isolation among parents of “problematic” children, reluctance to accept NDD diagnoses, and communication challenges between teachers and parents. Parents expressed a need for reliable, relevant child-rearing information and concise advice. The developed mobile application, “Nobi-nobi TOIRO,” addresses these needs through Q&A services, information sharing, and note-taking functionalities. As of May 2024, it has been downloaded approximately 36,000 times, with 92.2 ％ user satisfaction and 99.4 ％ of users recommending it. Conclusion : The “Nobi-nobi TOIRO” application demonstrates the potential of mobile technology to provide inclusive support for children with developmental concerns. The user-centric development approach ensured its relevance and usability, making it a valuable tool for parents, preschool teachers, and childcare workers in promoting inclusive education.