Sago Mini First Words: Kids 1+

I specialize in apraxia, autism and early intervention. I like how the app made an effort to support kids speech production in using videos of real children and included slow modeling. However, I would NOT recommend this app for kids. The speech recognition is very inaccurate even with the highest accuracy setting. It often does not recognize a word produced correctly at a slower rate. Even if it is said just like the child’s slow model. But will accept an incorrect production if said faster (example I said “dada” for doctor). The child’s slow model was sometimes too monotone. I would have also made adjustments to make the child’s model more clear, had the child model more often and had an option to support the child with supportive cues. I was concerned one of the prompts was “what should you do when you hear the ice cream truck? RUN!” I work with many families who struggle with their children running into the road or run out of the house unsupervised when they hear the ice cream truck. This isn’t supporting child’s safety. I noticed the app had some glitches. It froze sometimes. And if you are using Bluetooth headset the audio would alternate between headset and speaker on the phone. Overall screen time isn’t recommended for young children and should be limited. When looking at screen time choices for younger children, it’s better for the app to move slowly with less frequent screen changes. All of the fast movement and changes can affect attention span.

bad