One million children. Eight countries. Countless opportunities. By systematically screening for disabilities and developmental delays, we ensure every child can play, learn, and develop to their fullest potential.
The scale is staggering: over 200 million children with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries lack access to essential tools and services. Our program focuses on children aged 0 to 6—a critical window for early intervention and support.
Through a partnership with the LEGO Foundation, CHAI is working alongside governments in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and South Africa to ensure that children with disabilities have the same opportunities as their peers. In the program’s first year, we have screened over a million children for disabilities.
Innovative screening: Bringing services to families
Play Camp for early screening in Kenya
We are working with health and education providers in the public and private sectors to ensure children are screened early. We use a set of internationally recognized developmental milestones to determine whether they may have a disability or developmental delay.
Our approach aims to meet families where they are—using creative, community-driven strategies that have been proven to work:
In South Africa, we partnered with Cotlands to integrate screening into existing community “toy libraries” where trained librarians observe children for developmental concerns. In Kenya, “play camps” are increasingly becoming informal settings where trained screeners naturally assess children’s development. Ethiopia developed a network of over 4,000 parent coaches—many of them mothers—who now screen children in their own homes.
Behind the screenings stand nearly 15,000 trained professionals—teachers, healthcare providers, and social workers. We are mentoring frontline workers to increase their expertise in early screening and intervention techniques so they can reach children in their communities.
“A three-year-old in my neighborhood had not started speaking, and the parents were deeply worried,” shared a community worker in Nigeria. After making her assessment, she referred the child to an outreach center for further support. “Now, the child can access play-based interventions to support speech development.”
Workshop to train teachers on early screening in Sierra Leone
The challenges of follow-up
Early screening is just the first step. Many children we have screened have not completed follow-up assessments for numerous reasons. Families may not be able to afford transportation costs or take time off work—especially when they have long distances to travel to receive care. There may be long waiting times to see one of the few specialists in the country who can treat certain conditions. Even if families are able to get care in a timely manner, there may be other impacts. As one mother in Ethiopia shared: “Carrying my six-year-old son to a confirmatory test, I am now suffering from back pain.”
To bridge these gaps in early detection and linkage to care, we are bringing care closer to families, much as we have done for screenings.
While each country context will require a unique approach to be effective, we are already working to expand care in several ways. These include (1) strengthening referral systems to ensure children receive timely assessments and interventions, (2) expanding local assessment centers to reduce the burden of long-distance travel, and (3) improving access to assistive products such as wheelchairs, eyeglasses, and hearing aids for young children.
Teachers playing development screening games with children in Indonesia
Key lessons learned
Our goal is ambitious yet clear: to screen three million children and connect at least 40,000 with disabilities to appropriate care next year.
Through this journey, we have garnered several insights we can apply to achieve this goal:
- Government leadership is crucial for integrating screening into national health and education systems
- Community involvement and culturally relevant approaches drive participation
- Combining screening efforts increases efficiency
- Ongoing training and mentorship ensure meaningful impact
- Screening must always connect to intervention services
Looking ahead
We are committed to expanding screening across high-volume facilities, schools, and communities. By maintaining the momentum of the past year, strengthening our partnerships with local organizations and governments, we can build a future where every child—regardless of ability—has the opportunity to reach their full potential. One million children screened. Millions more to go.
