Early Childhood Development: High Stakes, High Potential
There is no denying that early childhood is a period of remarkable growth. During these formative years, the brain is highly adaptable, shaping a child’s ability to learn, move, communicate, and thrive in diverse environments. It is a time of immense opportunity, as children develop essential cognitive, motor, behavioral, and social emotional skills.
In recent years, the demand for developmental support services has grown substantially, with 25% of children and youth in the United States facing developmental challenges.
Unfortunately, as these needs continue to rise, families and healthcare providers encounter frequent obstacles including limited access, workforce shortages, administrative burdens, and gaps in the quality and continuity of care. Millions of children are deprived of crucial support during a critical developmental period in their lives. While some of the greatest opportunities for learning and growth occur when brain plasticity is at its peak, children and their families often struggle to access timely and comprehensive care.
Imagine this…
Every child, everywhere has access to an app that carries with it a full team of AI coaches. These coaches are the world leading occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, and behavioral health therapists all working together in each moment of play, practice, and daily life. These AI coaches don’t just operate in silos; they collaborate, adapt in real time, and personalize guidance to meet each child where they are. This exists and it’s called Korro AI.
While a child is playing and learning, Korro AI is quietly collecting thousands of developmental data points per second, data that empowers parents, teachers, and providers to better guide treatment, education, and home life. This isn’t just a tool. It’s a whole-child, whole-community solution—a coach that can walk with a child from the earliest years through their growth, helping them reach milestones, strengthen their foundation, and unlock their full potential.
Why AI is Transforming Early Learning
Developed at the intersection of healthcare, computer vision, artificial intelligence, and digital media, Korro AI was designed specifically to support child development. The platform transforms any mobile device into an interactive therapy tool, providing gamified experiences that support a broad range of skills, including motor learning, executive functioning, and emotional regulation. Behind the scenes, AI captures detailed movement and progress data, giving providers, parents, and teachers actionable insights to guide each child’s growth. By combining advanced technology with the science of play, Korro helps children build essential skills while supporting practitioners and caregivers in delivering and promoting carryover of therapy outside the clinic.
A Closer Look: How AI Observes and Guides Learning
Korro AI is not just a digital tool; it is a smart coach in a child’s learning and development journey. Using a standard smartphone camera and on device processing, Korro observes a child’s movements, expressions, and interactions in real time, giving practitioners and caregivers a detailed view of each child’s progress. Subtle cues in posture, motion, and expression become meaningful insights that guide personalized support without the need for specialized equipment.
Every interaction generates hundreds of objective metrics, from fine and gross motor skills to patterns in attention and engagement. Practitioners can use these insights to adapt goals and activities, ensuring that learning stays engaging, challenging, and just right for each child. Over time, this data also contributes to a bigger picture of child development, informing innovations that benefit children everywhere.
Rather than replacing practitioners, Korro is a partner for their practice. By automating documentation, generating goal-driven interventions in sessions and home programs, and providing actionable insights, it allows providers to focus on guiding and supporting each child’s growth.
How Korro Supports Children, Practitioners, and Caregivers
Korro enhances childhood development in multiple ways, personalizing learning by adapting activities in real time to each child’s developmental stage and ensuring the right level of challenge and support. The platform also makes therapy more accessible by delivering sessions through everyday devices such as tablets or phones, allowing children in rural or underserved areas to participate. By turning therapy into play, Korro keeps children engaged, encouraging consistent practice and reinforcing skills both in the clinic and at home.
Korro’s impact extends to everyone involved in a child’s development. For children, interactive activities promote skill development, maintain focus, and sustain motivation. Practitioners benefit from real time data, automated documentation, and AI-generated in session and at home programs, which streamline workflows and enable more personalized care. Caregivers gain clear progress tracking and engaging home activities, empowering them to actively support learning and skill development outside of the clinic.
Research Evidence: AI in Action
Emerging research highlights AI’s potential to transform child development and occupational therapy. In a 2024 study by Jacobs and Stover, children using Korro demonstrated over 400 percent higher adherence to home exercise programs compared to traditional approaches. Over six weeks, this engagement led to measurable improvements in fine motor skills and bilateral coordination, reflected in statistically significant increases in BOT 2 scores (Cohen’s d = 1.1, p = .01). Practitioners also reported less burnout, greater efficiency, and stronger transfer of skills from therapy sessions to home.
On average, children using Korro at home practiced nearly 20 minutes per week, maintaining high engagement throughout the study period. These results show why AI is effective. By providing real time, personalized feedback and gamified engagement, Korro keeps children motivated and consistent in their practice. Its ability to analyze movement, track progress, and adapt to challenges ensures that every child receives targeted support, reinforcing skill development outside of therapy sessions.
Looking Ahead: The Future of AI in Child Development
Korro’s mission is clear: to optimize the critical early years of brain development, harness the power of play, and equip healthcare providers with AI driven tools to unlock every child’s potential. In doing so, Korro AI is helping build a future where early intervention is accessible, engaging, and effective for all children, preparing them to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. Korro AI has the potential to transform how we nurture every child’s growth, helping all children reach their full potential.
