SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY

Research for speech-language pathology

Papers a speech-language pathologist can act on — aphasia, dysphagia, developmental language, fluency, voice and augmentative communication — read in full and summarised plainly.

10,216 PAPERS · PAGE 184 OF 205 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPCohort2026Central auditory testing in young Tanzanian children: feasibility and relationship to cognition.International journal of audiologyIn young Tanzanian children, most could complete speech-in-noise and dichotic listening tests, and better test performance was linked to higher nonverbal cognitive scores. The gap detection test was not feasible for almost all children.
• SLPPilot2026Adaptation of the Italian Version of the Mealtime Assessment Scale in Pediatric Population (MAS-p).DysphagiaThe adapted Italian Mealtime Assessment Scale for children showed good reliability and consistency in a small pilot. It helps speech-language pathologists observe safety and efficacy during meals in real-life settings, though further validation is needed before clinical use.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Outcomes of selective dorsal rhizotomy in ambulatory children and young people with cerebral palsy: A scoping review.Developmental medicine and child neurologyMost research on selective dorsal rhizotomy measures muscle tone and movement, ignoring patient goals and daily participation. Only four studies tracked individualized goals and two explored family perspectives, leaving a major gap in understanding what matters to patients.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2026Impact of peer-support programs for individuals with autism: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic participants in peer-support programs consistently described feeling understood, empowered, and less alone. However, no study used a control group, so these improvements cannot be separated from time or natural development. The evidence is promising but not proven.
• SLPQualitative2025"I Don't Have to Say That They Are Dying Now": Professionals' Perspectives on Death-Related Communication With Children and Young People With Intellectual Disabilities in Paediatric Palliative Care in Germany.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDSeven paediatric palliative care professionals described adapting death communication to each child's ability rather than their diagnosis. They relied on waiting for the child to initiate, using play and nature symbols, and reading non-verbal cues. Parents' beliefs and professionals' own assumptions heavily shaped these conversations.
• SLPPilot2025Explicit tier two vocabulary instruction for young deaf children.Journal of deaf studies and deaf educationDeaf children with low-average vocabulary learned most target words in this small group intervention. Children with very low vocabulary learned and retained far fewer, suggesting grade-level words may be too advanced for them without significant adjustments.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Enhancing assistive technology knowledge through WHO's training in assistive products (TAP): a pre-post quasi-experimental study in Italian undergraduate healthcare education.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesUndergraduate physiotherapy, nursing, and developmental therapy students improved their knowledge of assistive products after completing WHO's TAP training. Gains were largest for mobility and transfer devices. The study measured test scores only, so it does not show that these students became better clinicians.
• SLPQualitative2025'Why Aren't We Fighting Our Case?': Speech and Language Therapists' Perspectives on Intervention for Preschool Children With Oral Comprehension Difficulties.International journal of language & communication disordersSpeech and language therapists described a constant tension between adapting to each child's needs and being constrained by service limits. Lack of time and staffing forced some to use rigid blocks or indirect models they felt were inadequate for oral comprehension difficulties.
• SLPQualitative2025Stakeholder Perspectives on the Responsible Innovation in Health Framework for Addressing Stigma-Based Health Inequalities Among People Who Stutter.International journal of language & communication disordersStakeholders designing stigma-reducing stuttering interventions prioritized secure platforms, professional delivery, accessible communication, diversity, engaging visuals and flexible group therapy. These ideas were rated for importance and practicality, not tested.
• SLPCohort2025Lower Cortical Activation and Altered Functional Connectivity Characterize Passive Auditory Spatial Attention in ASD.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchChildren with ASD showed lower brain activation and different connectivity patterns when hearing sounds change location, even while ignoring them. These neural differences correlated with autism severity and auditory sensory symptoms, suggesting distinct processing of spatial audio cues.
• SLPCohort2025Caregiver Perspectives on the Use of Tele-Assessment for Toddlers with Developmental Concerns.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregivers were highly satisfied with remote diagnostic assessments for toddlers, regardless of the result. Even families who received unexpected diagnoses reported similar satisfaction to those whose concerns were confirmed. Remote assessments appear acceptable and feasible for community screening.
• SLPSurvey2025'AAC Isn't a Take It or Leave It': The Augmentative and Alternative Communication Training Experiences of Australian Speech-Language Pathologists Working in Paediatrics.International journal of language & communication disordersAustralian paediatric speech pathologists rated university AAC training inadequate and wanted practical, face-to-face training. They said AAC is not optional because nearly all surveyed SLPs already support AAC users.
• SLPQualitative2025'It feels like a blessing' - The experience of Hebrew-English bilingualism among autistic children: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic children in this study described Hebrew-English bilingualism as a source of pride, social connection, and religious meaning. They disliked being told to speak only one language, with one child reporting distress after being barred from Hebrew classes.
• SLPOther2026Short-Term Evaluation of the APrevent® VOIS Implant: Outcomes at 7 Weeks Post-Implantation.Folia phoniatrica et logopaedica : official organ of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP)A new adjustable implant for vocal fold paralysis improved voice quality and closure in 32 patients at 7 weeks. Postoperative adjustments were possible without surgery. Results are short-term and lack a control group, so long-term stability remains unknown.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Latent trajectories in autistic individuals: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic development is not uniform. Most individuals show stable core traits, but repetitive behaviors often worsen while adaptive skills improve. Baseline cognition predicts these paths. Regularly assess multiple domains over time rather than assuming a single fixed trajectory.
• SLPOther2026The Role of Phonological Factors in the Processing of Polish Phonotactics.Language and speechPolish adults judged made-up words more possible when final consonant pairs followed Polish sound rules and existed in Polish. Vowel type also mattered: /a/ and /ɛ/ increased acceptance, while /ɔ/ was judged fastest but accepted least often.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2026Neurorehabilitation in the 21st Century: New Science, New Strategies, New Expectations.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairThe brain stays plastic all life. Recovery means restoring a skill's key features, not its old muscle patterns. Therapists should pair practice with methods that boost or guide this plasticity.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Exploring the Influence of Digitalization on Multidisciplinary Poststroke Rehabilitation Practice: Qualitative Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesTherapists described videoconferencing and digital tools for coordination after discharge, but written reports still dominated cross-service communication. They worried digital support could weaken relationships, especially for psychosocial care and complex motor rehab.
• SLPOther2026Using Machine Learning for the Automated Segmentation and Detection of Swallows Obtained by Digital Cervical Auscultation in Preterm Neonates.DysphagiaA machine learning model identified 94% of swallows in preterm neonates from neck sounds. It was more accurate for bottle feeds than breast feeds. This could help automate cervical auscultation, but it has not yet been tested against actual aspiration.
• SLPCohort2025Hearing Threshold Estimation With Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission Growth Functions in People With Intellectual Disabilities in an Outreach Setting.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRDistortion product otoacoustic emission growth functions (DPOAEgf) are a feasible objective hearing test for adults with mild intellectual disability in community settings. At the standard 20 dB HL cutoff, the test is highly sensitive but lacks specificity, often overestimating hearing loss. Raising the referral cutoff to 30 dB HL improves accuracy.
• SLPProtocol2025The Influence of Physical Exercise on Head and Neck Structures and Functions Related to Swallowing: A Scoping Review Protocol.International journal of language & communication disordersThis paper is a plan for a future study, not a report of results. It outlines how researchers will search for evidence on whether physical exercise affects swallowing muscles, but no data has been collected or analyzed yet.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Language, Speech, and Oral Motor Performance in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Systematic Review.International journal of language & communication disordersChildren with developmental coordination disorder often have subtle speech and oral motor deficits that standard articulation tests miss. Look for slower articulation and breakdowns during complex speech tasks, not just isolated sound errors.
• SLPOther2025Preferences and Listening Efficiency of Adults With Cochlear Implants During Online Communication.Ear and hearingAdults with cochlear implants strongly prefer captions during video calls. Captions improve listening efficiency by about 14% over video alone. However, even with captions, they remain less efficient than normal-hearing peers and report missing facial cues due to attention shifts.
• SLPCohort2025Consonant Proficiency in Children With and Without Hearing Impairment Assessed With Profiles of Early Expressive Phonological Skills - Swedish (PEEPS-SE).International journal of language & communication disordersChildren with hearing impairment had fewer established consonants at 24 and 30 months. Their consonant accuracy was lower at 24 months, but at 30 months it did not separate the groups.
• SLPSurvey2025Exploring Staff Perceptions and Experiences in Services Providing Different Levels of Active Support.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRStaff said they were skilled, but most defined skill as having done training or stayed in the job, not as using specific techniques. Training in communication support was rare despite high need, and no link was found between staff training and the quality of support observed.
• SLPCohort2026Swallowing Guidance with FEES May Alleviate Symptoms in Functional Dysphagia.DysphagiaFEES, video explanation, and swallowing guidance lowered median EAT-10 scores in all patients and in functional dysphagia, but 40% reported relief, 50% no change, and quality of life did not improve.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Epidemiology of progressive intellectual and neurological deterioration in UK children.Developmental medicine and child neurologyUK surveillance found that inborn errors of metabolism cause most progressive neurodegeneration in children, with genetic testing now driving diagnosis. Pakistani and Bangladeshi families had much higher rates of parental cousin marriage, linking this to inherited recessive diseases.
• PTOTSLPRCT2026At-Home Delivery of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Paired With Task-Specific Training Improves Performance of High-Priority Activities in Persons With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury or Stroke.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationFourteen people with chronic stroke or spinal cord injury completed 36 at-home sessions pairing vagus nerve stimulation with self-selected daily tasks. Time to complete trained tasks dropped by 19.8% in stroke and 33.8% in spinal cord injury, but this open-label study cannot separate the stimulation's effect from practice alone.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Parents' experiences of having a child who had a stroke: A systematic review and meta-ethnography.Developmental medicine and child neurologyParents describe childhood stroke as a sudden, shocking event worsened by low awareness among professionals. They report feeling abandoned after discharge, forcing them to self-educate. Support needs change over time, with fathers and siblings often overlooked.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes in Australian First Nations infants: The transdiagnostic utility of early screening tools.Developmental medicine and child neurologyA combined trajectory of early movement scores (MOS-R) and neurological exams (HINE) predicted neurodevelopmental delays and autism at 12 months with 74% accuracy. This transdiagnostic utility allows therapists to identify high-risk First Nations infants earlier, even before a formal diagnosis is confirmed.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2026Suicide and Self-Harm in Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRThe first results found no significant difference in suicide death or self-harm risk for people with intellectual disability. After removing outlier studies, suicide death risk was lower and self-harm risk higher.
• SLPOther2026The effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and experiences of interventions to reduce suicidality for autistic people: A scoping review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceResearch on reducing suicidality in autistic people is in its early stages. Interventions like safety planning and adapted therapies are being developed, but there are too few completed trials to determine if they work or are cost-effective.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2026Alleviating Hypotension With Implanted Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Seated Stabilization: A Case Report in SCI.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn one woman with cervical spinal cord injury, activating implanted trunk stimulation raised systolic blood pressure from 62.6 to 115.8 mmHg and resolved morning lightheadedness. This is a single case. It suggests trunk muscle activation may help seated stabilization, but does not prove efficacy.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Associations among epilepsy phenotypes and pain, sleep interference, and dissociative symptoms.Rehabilitation psychologyHow much epilepsy interferes with daily life predicted pain, sleep, and dissociative symptoms more strongly than specific comorbidity profiles. Veterans with polytrauma or chronic disease phenotypes reported higher pain, while those with polytrauma or bipolar/SUD reported more sleep interference.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Examining Transdiagnostic Patterns of Motor Differences: Preliminary Findings From the Consortium for Motor Behavior in Neurodivergence (COMBINE).Journal of autism and developmental disordersAcross 262 children with autism, ADHD, DCD or CAS, 77% scored in the clinical range for motor impairment. DCD predicted lower total scores, while ADHD predicted higher total and balance scores. Autistic children had lower aiming and catching scores, and girls had lower aiming scores.
• SLPSystematic Review2025Acoustic Metrics of the Strain Dimension of Voice Quality: A Scoping Review.Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice FoundationNo single acoustic measure reliably identifies vocal strain. Spectral sharpness and relative fundamental frequency show promise but lack specificity. Clinicians should use multiple acoustic metrics alongside perceptual ratings to assess strain, rather than relying on one instrument.
• SLPCohort2025Dynamics in the Transimpedance Matrix and Electrically Evoked Compound Action Potentials in Cochlear Implant Users With a Lateral-Wall Electrode Array.Ear and hearingIn cochlear implant users, a sharper electrical field peak in the basal cochlea correlated with lower nerve response thresholds after surgery. This suggests tissue growth may focus stimulation, potentially allowing clinicians to predict threshold changes from transimpedance matrix measurements.
• SLPQualitative2025Transforming Access to Hearing Care: Community Perspectives on School-Based Telehealth in Rural Appalachia.Ear and hearingSchool hearing screening in rural Kentucky was described as inconsistent, under-resourced, and poorly communicated, with outdated equipment and limited staff. Educators, parents, and providers wanted clearer school-to-clinic coordination and telehealth follow-up.
• SLPOther2025Age-Related Hearing Decline and Resting-State Networks.American journal of audiologyOlder adults and those with high-frequency hearing loss showed weaker connectivity in brain networks handling salience and speech. This may explain why listening in noise feels more effortful, even when the person does not report hearing problems.
• PTSLPSurvey2025Managing Facial Palsy After Stroke: Results From an Online Survey of Health Professionals.International journal of language & communication disordersMost UK clinicians rely on informal observation rather than standardised tools for facial palsy after stroke. Speech and language therapists and physiotherapists are the primary providers, but they lack clear guidelines, training, and resources.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2025Personal, Social and Vocational Outcomes of Inclusive University for People With Intellectual Disability.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRInclusive university programmes for people with intellectual disability are linked to gains in autonomy, confidence, social skills and employment. However, friendships with non-disabled peers often did not extend beyond the programme, and most studies were small, single-site and US-based.
• SLPSystematic Review2025Prioritisation Systems Used in Adult Speech and Language Therapy Settings: A Scoping Review.International journal of language & communication disordersIn adult speech and language therapy, prioritisation often puts swallowing first and communication or voice lower. 10 included studies showed inconsistent systems with little detail, so diagnosis labels can delay people whose needs are severe.
• PTOTSLPPilot2026Enhancing Knee Joint Proprioception in Healthy Adults Through Exergame Training With Augmented Feedback: Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesHealthy adults using an exergame with sound feedback improved knee position accuracy more than those using visual feedback alone. However, participants could see their legs during testing, so the study proves better motor learning, not necessarily improved proprioception.
• SLPSystematic Review2026Pharyngolaryngeal Abnormalities viewed via nasoendoscopy associated with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in Adults: A Scoping Review.DysphagiaScoping review of 117 articles links specific pharyngolaryngeal abnormalities seen on FEES to dysphagia. Unilateral vocal fold impairment and edema show consistent associations with aspiration. Most other abnormalities lack statistical evidence, so treat FEES findings as part of a broader assessment rather than definitive causes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025The Effect of Genotype on Self-Reported Dysarthria and Dysphagia in Parkinson's Disease: A Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative Study.International journal of language & communication disordersPatients with SNCA and GBA mutations self-reported worse speech and swallowing problems than those with LRRK2 mutations after the first two years. All groups started with similar mild symptoms. Motor phenotype did not predict these self-reported communication or swallowing difficulties.
• SLPCase Report2025Toward Acoustic-Based Normalization of Laryngeal EMG for Improved Interspeaker Consistency in Muscle-to-Acoustic Mapping.Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice FoundationIn a single healthy voice user, acoustic-based EMG normalization made laryngeal muscle-to-pitch maps more consistent across four sessions than peak-based normalization. The method is not yet ready for clinical use.
• SLPNarrative Review2025Translating the Power of Precision Medicine Into the World of Communication Disorders.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRIn infants with classic galactosemia, SLP-coached parent-led Babble Boot Camp before 6 months had higher babble complexity than typically developing controls at 12 to 16 months and higher than the 15-month start group at 15 months. No later speech or language outcomes were reported.
• SLPSystematic Review2025Influence of Speech and Language Therapy on Quality of Life in People With Primary Progressive Aphasia: A Scoping Review.International journal of language & communication disordersSpeech therapy for primary progressive aphasia often improves communication confidence, but this does not reliably translate to better quality of life. Most evidence comes from small case series, so no single therapy is proven to boost wellbeing.
• SLPSurvey2025Use of the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour Model and Theoretical Domains Framework to Understand Barriers and Enablers of Research Capacity and Culture for Speech and Language Therapy Staff.International journal of language & communication disordersSpeech and language therapy staff were motivated to do research and confident in basic evidence-based tasks like literature searches. They struggled with advanced skills like ethics applications and data analysis software. Key barriers were lack of time, supervision and unclear funding or career pathways.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2025Divergent aperiodic slope and alpha dynamics expose cortical excitability gradients in fragile X syndrome.Molecular autismEEG scans revealed brain patterns indicating high excitability in males with fragile X syndrome, but not in females. This sex-specific difference suggests that treatments targeting brain excitability may need to be tailored differently for boys and girls.