Background Rehabilitation training of the crawling motor activity (CMA) deserves attention for research and innovation for health care development. Children with delayed milestones (CDM) presents with disability to crawl, have physical disability and impaired functional mobility, burdening the therapists, carers and parents. Traditionally, rehabilitation training of CMA requires huge manual effort and strenuous task for therapists, carers and parents, resulting in back pain and compromising the efficacy of treatment. Therefore, there is a need for research innovation and clinical focus to improve efficiency of health care for training CMA among CDM that resulted into the innovation and development of “Crawling Aid” (CA).

Objectives This study explores the experiences, perception and challenges of therapists and parents in using CA to train crawling activity among CDM.

Methods A qualitative research study with phenomenological design was conducted among 12 participants (6 pediatric physiotherapists and 6 parents) from an university teaching hospital. All the study participants were exposed to CA and were allowed to use it in clinics for CMA in CDM who had crawling impairment. The data was analysed with NVivo 10.0 software using thematic content analysis.

Result The results showed 3 key themes which included (i) difficulties in crawling motor skills encountered by children (ii) problems and challenges in assisting CMA in clinical practice without the CA (iii) process and contextual experiences on the usefulness of CA in training CMA. The participants felt that the CA makes the CMA less stressful and more effective. All the participants supported the need of CA in many families and physiotherapy clinics in order to give a highly effective practice of CMA.

Conclusion CA is a useful clinical innovation which may have positive effects in the rehabilitation training of crawling motor activity among children with delayed mile stones.