GrowSmart: Making Early Developmental Screening Reach Every Child
Most developmental delays are noticed late — when a child struggles to settle in school, rather than at two or three, when support works best. GrowSmart is Cadabam's Child Development Centre's answer: a clinician-reviewed screening that any parent or school can start from a phone.
The children we notice too late
A large multi-site Indian study (INCLEN, PLOS Medicine, 2018) found that roughly 1 in 8 children aged 2–9 had at least one neurodevelopmental condition. Yet most families only reach a specialist after years of "wait and see", and specialists are concentrated in a few cities.
The early years are when the brain is most responsive to support. Every month a delay goes unnoticed is a month of easier progress lost.
What GrowSmart does
GrowSmart is a first-pass developmental screen for children aged 2–6. It looks across the areas that matter for everyday life and school:
- Language and communication, including speech sounds
- Social interaction and play
- Behaviour and attention
- Sensory processing
- Motor skills
- Self-help and school-readiness skills
Parents answer age-matched questions and record a few short activities with their child — naming pictures, answering questions, and (for older children) copying shapes. The screening adapts to the child's age.
How it works
- The parent completes the screening on a phone — at home, in their own time.
- AI-assisted analysis organises the responses and voice recordings across each developmental area.
- A Cadabam's clinician reviews every report before the family sees anything.
- The family receives a clear report — what looks on track, what is worth a closer look, and what to do next.
Why clinical integrity comes first
GrowSmart is built on a few non-negotiable rules:
- Screening flags, clinicians decide. No report reaches a parent without clinician review.
- No labels. GrowSmart never tells a parent their child "has" a condition. It shows where a closer look may help.
- When in doubt, refer. The screen errs toward a closer look rather than false reassurance.
- Built on established science. Questions are written by our team around the constructs used in well-established screening tools (such as ASQ-3, M-CHAT-R/F and the India-developed TDSC), adapted for Indian families.
- Honest about what it is. GrowSmart is a screening aid, not a diagnosis. We are calibrating it against full clinical assessments at our centres.
Who GrowSmart is for
- Parents wondering whether their child is on track
- Schools and preschools that want to understand every child early
- Paediatricians who need a quick, structured developmental check
- CSR teams, NGOs and government programmes working on inclusion at scale
Backed by Cadabam's CDC
GrowSmart is run by Cadabam's Child Development Centre, with centres in JP Nagar, Kanakapura Road and Kalyan Nagar, Bangalore. When a screening shows a child needs support, families have a direct path to our speech, occupational and behaviour therapists, and to a full developmental assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GrowSmart a diagnosis?
No. GrowSmart is a screening aid. It shows whether a closer look may help. Only a full clinical assessment can diagnose a condition.
What age is GrowSmart for?
Children aged 2 to 6 years. The questions and activities change with the child's age.
Who reviews the results?
A qualified Cadabam's CDC clinician reviews every report before it is shared with the family.
How long does it take?
Most parents finish in about 30 minutes, at home, on a phone.
What happens if the screening flags a concern?
The report explains which area needs a closer look. Families can book a consultation or a full developmental assessment with Cadabam's CDC.