App paving way for cerebral palsy early diagnosisAllanah SciberrasAAPMon, 8 September 2025 4:03AM
Early diagnosis might have made a world of difference to Loni Binstock’s family and her nine-year-old son, who lives with cerebral palsy.
She spent years chasing information after noticing some developmental concerns in her son, who was born at 25 weeks old.
Finally, at age three, her son underwent an invasive MRI that revealed Joshua had cerebral palsy, and immediate intervention was recommended.
“To advocate and help your child get what they need, you need to know what you’re working with,” Ms Binstock says.
“Having that information means you can opt in for early intervention… and the earlier you start, the better it is.”
Now, a groundbreaking app developed by University of Melbourne researchers, aims to guide parents through the process by supporting earlier diagnoses.
Cerebral palsy is the most common lifelong physical disability, with infants born prematurely more susceptible to developing the brain disorder.
One in 700 babies are diagnosed with cerebral palsy in Australia.
Amanda Kwong, co-founded the Baby Moves VIEW app, which allows parents to record and send videos of their baby’s movements to health professionals for assessment.
The videos are sent to certified assessors and from there, a General Movements Assessment is completed, which can lead to diagnoses.
Dr Kwong says the app bypasses the need for hospital testing and is designed to improve early detection rates.
She says it’s crucial for a baby with cerebral palsy to begin treatment as early as possible.
“Historically, we haven’t diagnosed cerebral palsy until they’re about 19 months, which is 19 months of missed opportunity to actually give them intervention,” she told AAP.
Ms Binstock wishes she could have accessed the app earlier, which could have allowed Joshua to begin intervention sooner.
Joshua’s condition impacts him cognitively, particularly in the area of executive functioning.
It means tasks which require planning and coordinating multiple steps, such as riding a bike or kicking a football, can be more challenging for him.
“It doesn’t mean he can’t do it. It just means there’s a lot more intervention he needs to function in the world,” Ms Binstock adds.
The mother of two described having access to an early diagnosis as ‘”empowering”.
“It means the parent has some peace of mind, we have enough trouble and worries as a parent. If we can ease the mind of a parent, that’s gold and that’s worth everything,” she says.
“Knowledge is power.”
The team hope to commercialise the app after receiving funding from Australia’s Economic Accelerator program.
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