Mapping and reframing early identification pathways for developmental delay in South Africa

This project contains the protocol and supporting materials for a multi-source systems-informed scoping review examining early identification pathways for developmental and language delays in South Africa. The review maps and synthesises evidence across three streams: international frameworks, South African national policy and legislative documents, and empirical academic literature. It aims to examine how global normative expectations, national policy intent, and real-world implementation evidence align or diverge in relation to screening, identification, referral pathways, intersectoral coordination, system capacity, and implementation. The review applies a systems-informed interpretive synthesis to reframe early identification as a complex pathway rather than a discrete screening activity, with attention to system flow, bottlenecks, fragmentation, contextual fit, and opportunities for integrated pathway redesign.