The review categorized app functionality without evaluating app qualities such as usability, consumer interaction, or engagement. However, only 3 apps targeting communication were included in this general review. A systematic review of apps targeting general rehabilitation found that some may have a positive impact on outcomes in exercise or gait training or self-management or may be effective as measurement tools. A recent analysis of apps for children with speech-language disorders found that most apps were of average quality and that app cost did not always correlate with therapeutic quality. ĭespite the availability and potential benefits of mobile apps for adults with communication disorders after ABI, there is little published evidence regarding their quality beyond the app star rating allocated by some consumers in app store platforms and web-based reviews. Mobile therapy apps may also offer greater opportunities for generalizing therapy goals to real-world settings and provide additional ways for clients to receive valuable feedback to reinforce positive behaviors and enhance performance. Specifically, mobile therapy apps may increase customization, ease of access, engagement with therapy, and optimize therapy dosage, which could assist in reducing the effects of social stigmas associated with communication impairment. The recent global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the potential for digital health technologies to provide health care support at a distance. Such apps have the potential to increase the reach of allied health interventions by making therapy available anywhere that a mobile device can be used. Usage of this app was reported to be higher in geographical areas with limited access to SLP clinics, regardless of demographics such as age. In a recent cohort study by Munoz et al, adults with stroke and TBI used an app targeting speech, language, and cognitive skills. Apps have been developed to identify the presence of aphasia (language impairment) and improve language outcomes, facilitate homework completion in adults with stroke and TBI, and improve cognitive skills in adults with acquired cognitive disorders. As the availability of mobile technology increases, apps designed for mobile phones and tablets are increasingly of interest for such therapy. Įvidence supports the delivery of rehabilitation by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) for adults after sustaining ABI to treat language, motor speech, and social communication skill impairments. In addition, communication difficulties may represent significant stressors that influence family and/or caregiver burden. The quality of life and mood can also be reduced for the affected person and their family members. Post-ABI communication disorders can impact a person’s social integration and participation in their school, work, and community. A communication disorder may involve speech impairment characterized by slurred and indistinct speech (dysarthria or apraxia of speech), specific language impairments characterized by difficulties with comprehension or expression of language (aphasia), communication difficulties associated with cognitive disorders, and impaired social communication skills. More than 75% of people experience a communication disorder after ABI. The population affected by ABI is large and growing, with 69 million individuals sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI) globally each year, and the global incidence of first stroke is expected to rise from 16 million in 2005 to 23 million in 2030. Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a life-changing health condition that can result from trauma, cerebrovascular events, and brain tumors.