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 198 OF 205 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPRCT2026Short-Term Effects of a Caregiver-Mediated Intervention for Preschoolers at Risk for Developmental Language Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRCoaching parents to model sentences during play gave preschoolers better grammar scores at 42 months than usual care, but the study's main vocabulary analysis at 36 months found no group difference. Grammar remained well below age expectations in both groups.
• SLPRCT2026Augmentative and Alternative Communication Generative Language Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRPreschoolers with severely unintelligible speech built longer, correctly ordered symbol sequences on an iPad in twice-weekly sessions over four months, gaining about 0.26 symbols per utterance each month. Children given only the device and workshop made no significant gains. COVID left the trial underpowered.
• SLPOther2026Reproducibility of tongue pressure measurements using an experimental device.CoDASMeasuring tongue pressure with this low-cost prototype gave closely similar readings when the same examiner repeated the test a week later in 10 healthy adults. It has not yet been tested on anyone with a swallowing or speech problem.
• SLPOther2026Effects of Task-Irrelevant Talker Identity and Continuity on Spatial Selective Attention Under Interruption.Trends in hearingHealthy adults recalled competing syllables better when the two streams came from different talkers than from the same talker. A sudden interrupting sound still hurt recall, but less so with different talkers, and the disruption lasted longer when the talker stayed the same.
• SLPSurvey2026'They Absolutely Love It, or They're Terrified of It'. The Self-Perceived Competence of Australian Speech-Language Pathologists in Augmentative and Alternative Communication.International journal of language & communication disordersAustralian speech pathologists rated themselves only somewhat competent in AAC, weakest at assessment and strongest at delivering therapy. Rural clinicians, those with few AAC users on their caseload, and those with little university training rated themselves lowest.
• SLPPilot2026Social Adaptation to Change in Peer Behavior Before and After a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of a Theatre-Based Intervention for Adults With Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults already adapted their behaviour to a bored rather than interested conversation partner before treatment, and the theatre programme did not change that. Depression did not predict who changed. The role-play test may be too easy for this group.
• SLPOther2026Effects of Talker Sex Differences on Binaural Summation in Cochlear Implant Users and Normal Hearing Listeners.Trends in hearingListening with both ears helped mainly when the competing talkers were the opposite sex to the target, where single-sided-deaf implant users gained 3.5 dB and normal-hearing listeners 2.8 dB. Bilateral implant users and implant users with hearing loss in the other ear gained little.
• SLPCohort2026Trajectories of Mother-Child Closeness and Child Behavioural and Emotional Outcomes in Families of Children With Intellectual Disabilities.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRMothers who reported a closer relationship with their child also reported more prosocial behaviour from that child across three time points. Closeness and behaviour problems were linked only at the first time point, not over time, once other family factors were accounted for.
• SLPSystematic Review2026Auditory Sensitivity in Autism: A Systematic Review of Mismatch Negativity and Mismatch Field Responses.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic children often showed smaller brain responses to unexpected sounds than non-autistic peers, especially for changes in tone frequency, but other studies found larger responses or none, and adult findings were mostly null. Timing differences were inconsistent and tracked language and sensory profile more than diagnosis.
• SLPSystematic Review2026Impact of Age-Related Hearing Loss on Brain Connectivity and Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review.Trends in hearingOlder adults with age-related hearing loss show altered brain connectivity, most consistently reduced connectivity within the default mode network, and these changes track with worse executive function, especially set-shifting. All 25 studies were observational, so this shows association, not that hearing loss causes cognitive decline.
• SLPOther2026Cross-Modality Treatment Generalization in Sentence Comprehension in Aphasia: Evidence From Structural Priming and Webcam-Based Eye-Tracking.International journal of language & communication disordersSix sessions of sentence production training did not improve how accurately people with aphasia understood sentences, but they got about 300 ms faster at answering and looked at the right picture sooner. Verb overlap helped control participants, not those with aphasia.
• SLPOther2026Optimal Parameters for Measuring Multiband Auditory Brainstem Responses to Continuous Speech.Trends in hearingReshaping the speech sounds cut the median time to record all ten brainstem responses from 21.3 minutes to 10.2, and lowering the narrator's voice pitch sped things up further, so most people finished testing in under 20 to 30 minutes.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2026Digital Interventions for First-Time Hearing Aid Users: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Efficacy and Effectiveness.Trends in hearingDigital programmes for new hearing aid users reliably improved knowledge and device handling skills, but did not increase how much people wore their hearing aids. Combining trial results for use, satisfaction and quality of life showed no difference from usual care.
• SLPSurvey2026Assessing Hearing-Related Quality of Life in Adults With Hearing Loss: Validation of the German Cochlear Implant Quality of Life (CIQOL)-35 Profile.Trends in hearingThe German CIQOL-35 measures hearing-related quality of life in adult cochlear implant users reliably and tracks the older NCIQ closely, while also covering listening effort and entertainment, which the NCIQ does not. Its items came from what implant users said mattered.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2026Exploring Vocational Training Interventions for Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Scoping Review.Occupational therapy internationalVocational help for autistic adults in these 26 studies falls into three groups: supported employment built on real internships, targeted skills training such as mock interviews, and support depending on employers and ongoing coaching. Measures vary too much to compare and most studies are small.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2026Experiences of Social Care Among People With Intellectual Disabilities From Minority Ethnic Communities in the UK: A Rapid Review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDAdults with intellectual disabilities from minority ethnic communities face the same service barriers as everyone else, compounded by racism, language barriers and services that ignore religious and cultural needs. Families often get less extended family support than staff assume. Only 19 small studies exist.
• SLPOther2026Effects of Source-Specific Dynamic Range Compression on Sound Quality for Individuals With Hearing Loss.Trends in hearingWhen speech and background were compressed separately and then mixed, 20 adults with hearing loss rated sound quality higher than when the mixed signal was compressed: clearer speech, more pleasant music, less noise. The advantage disappeared once speech was louder than the background.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2026Reinterpreting the Frequency Dependence of Cortical Auditory-Evoked Response Amplitudes in Light of Current Understanding of Cortical Tonotopic Organization.Trends in hearingCortical auditory evoked responses get smaller as stimulus frequency rises, unlike brainstem responses. Forward modelling suggests the drop is driven mainly by the net current tilting away from the recording electrodes as activation moves along the tonotopic map.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022Systematic Review of Functional Outcomes in Cancer Rehabilitation.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMost studies in this review found rehabilitation improved function for people with cancer, across daily activities, fatigue, walking, thinking and quality of life. But 102 of 362 (28%) found no significant benefit on their main outcome, and results could not be pooled.
• PTSLPSystematic Review2022Non-pharmacological Management of Non-productive Chronic Cough in Adults: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesSome non-drug treatments improved cough-related quality of life for long-standing dry cough, including speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and CPAP for sleep apnoea. But cough severity, anxiety and depression did not change, and a three-month follow-up of the physiotherapy and speech-language programme found no difference.
• SLPRCT2025Infant Achievements Intervention Improves Caregiver Implementation Fidelity and Infant Social Communication Outcomes: A Preliminary Randomized Clinical Trial.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchCoaching parents about twice a week for around eight weeks in responsive play techniques improved how consistently they used them, and improved their infants' joint attention and engagement with them, compared with developmental information alone.
• SLPRCT2024Characterizing mechanisms of caregiver-mediated naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for autistic toddlers: A randomized clinical trial.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceMothers taught to prompt their autistic toddler to communicate had children who communicated more, and used more different words, three months later than mothers taught to follow the child's lead. Responsive strategies produced longer stretches of shared attention. Neither group was a control.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2022A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on the Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Swallowing Function of Poststroke Patients.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationAdding brain stimulation (tDCS) to rehabilitation improved swallowing after stroke across 10 small trials, with the largest gains when the current went to the uninjured side of the brain. Evidence quality is low: most trials did not describe how patients were assigned to groups.
• SLPRCT2025The Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) System in Toddlers With Early Indicators of Autism: Test-Retest Reliability and Convergent Validity With Clinical Language Assessments.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchConversational turn counts from an in-home wearable recorder lined up with autistic toddlers' language scores, even after accounting for how much the child vocalized. Plain adult-word and child-vocalization counts did not. Repeat recordings of the same child agreed moderately well.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2023Telehealth Interventions to Promote Health and Behavior-Related Outcomes in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersJob-interview skills improved in all three studies that targeted them, but across 11 studies results for anxiety, depression, social skills and quality of life were inconsistent. Samples were small and most studies were at high risk of bias.
• SLPSystematic Review2023Neurodevelopmental impairments in children with septo-optic dysplasia spectrum conditions: a systematic review.Molecular autismRoughly half of children with septo-optic dysplasia spectrum conditions have cognitive or developmental impairment (175 of 336) and 35% (65 of 187) have autism-level symptoms. In visually impaired children those autism scores may reflect adaptations to sight loss.
• PTSLPMeta-Analysis2022The Prognostic Utility of Electroencephalography in Stroke Recovery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAcross 75 studies, EEG recorded after stroke predicted later independence and stroke severity, and in most studies added prognostic information beyond the initial clinical score. Evidence for upper limb, speech, balance and cognition was mixed, and no single best EEG measure has been agreed.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2025Post-diagnostic support for adults diagnosed with autism in adulthood in the UK: A systematic review with narrative synthesis.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceMost adults diagnosed with autism in adulthood who were surveyed said post-diagnostic support did not meet their needs, and no included study measured whether any of it works. Adults valued psychoeducation, peer contact and one-to-one help; follow-up and signposting alone were not enough.
• SLPRCT2024Use of athletic tape in the speech-language-hearing treatment of post-stroke facial paralysis in the acute phase.CoDASThree of four facial measurements showed no added benefit from taping over facial exercises alone after a stroke. The tape group did better on the one taken nearest the tape, and all three groups improved, including those given no therapy.
• SLPSystematic Review2024Low language capacity in childhood: A systematic review of prevalence estimates.International journal of language & communication disordersPublished estimates of how many children have low language range from 0.4% to 25.2%. Where researchers applied explicit diagnostic criteria and standardised tests, figures clustered at 3.3% to 7.6%; parent or teacher report gave 9.5% to 25.2%.
• SLPRCT2024Development of mobile compatible software for cognitive-communication disorder in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.International journal of language & communication disordersA tablet app used at home alongside usual Alzheimer's medication for seven weeks raised cognitive test scores from 15.38 to 19.56 while the control group's fell from 16.13 to 15.19. The groups' language test totals did not differ.
• SLPSystematic Review2023Association Between Adult-Onset Hearing Loss and Income: A Systematic Review.Ear and hearingAcross 46 studies, lower income went with hearing loss in 41; five found no link. All were single snapshots in time, so none can say which came first, and all income data came from what people reported about themselves.
• SLPRCT2023Increasing Adherence to Prophylactic Swallowing Exercises During Head and Neck Radiotherapy: The Multicenter, Randomized Controlled PRESTO-Trial.DysphagiaPatients doing swallowing exercises during radiotherapy stuck with them best when a speech therapist supervised every session. Adherence fell in all three groups over four weeks, and was lowest when the exercises were done with an app.
• SLPRCT2023The Effect of Sensory Level Versus Motor Level Electrical Stimulation of Pharyngeal Muscles in Acute Stroke Patients with Dysphagia: A Randomized Trial.DysphagiaSensory and motor electrical stimulation made no difference to swallowing recovery when compared directly in 31 acute stroke patients. The sensory group's own scores improved on three measures while the motor group's did not, but both groups also had standard dysphagia therapy.
• SLPRCT2023Metformin Versus Insulin for Gestational Diabetes: Cognitive and Neuropsychological Profiles of Children Aged 9 years.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPChildren whose mothers took metformin for gestational diabetes scored much the same at age 9 as children whose mothers had insulin, on IQ, memory, attention, reading and everyday organisation. No difference between the groups was significant.
• SLPRCT2022Community Health Workers as Patient-Site Facilitators in Adult Hearing Aid Services via Synchronous Teleaudiology: Feasibility Results from the Conexiones Randomized Controlled Trial.Ear and hearingRemote hearing aid services with a local helper improved communication confidence in both groups. Whether the helper was a community health worker or a university student made no difference; the community health worker group wore their aids longer at the first follow-up only.
• SLPRCT2025Exploring the nature of stuttering through a behavioral-neuro-modulation intervention program in bilinguals with stuttering.CoDASTreating bilingual adults who stutter in their dominant or non-dominant language made no difference to how much they stuttered. Stuttered syllables fell in both Kannada and English, but everyone also got brain stimulation and fluency tasks and there was no untreated control group.
• SLPRCT2024Effectiveness of orofacial myofunctional intervention to mitigate facial aging signs: a clinical trial.CoDASAdding surface EMG biofeedback to orofacial myofunctional therapy made no difference to facial wrinkles or to chewing, swallowing and speech, only to how satisfied the women felt. Nine weekly sessions improved chewing and swallowing. Wrinkle gains faded after eight weeks off.
• SLPSystematic Review2024Parent-reported outcome measures evaluating communication in individuals with rare neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review.International journal of language & communication disordersOf 16 parent-report communication measures used in rare neurodevelopmental disorders, only six have any validation for these conditions. On several, the most severely affected children score zero on most items, so a low score may reflect the tool rather than the child.
• SLPSystematic Review2024Comparative Efficacy of Cognitive Training for Post-Stroke Aphasia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAdding working memory training to speech and language therapy improved overall aphasia severity, spontaneous speech, repetition and naming more than therapy alone across 11 trials. Virtual reality-based cognitive training plus therapy came out top for understanding spoken language.
• SLPRCT2024Effectiveness of the HEAR-Aware App for Adults Not Ready for Hearing Aids, but Open to Self-Management Support: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.Ear and hearingThe app did not change overall readiness to act on hearing problems: no difference between the app group and the control group on the main measure. Readiness to deal with feelings about hearing did rise, but slipped back after the app stopped.
• SLPRCT2024Prophylactic Swallowing Therapy During Head-and-Neck Cancer Radiotherapy: Effect of Service-Delivery Mode and Overall Adherence Level on Swallowing Function and Muscle Strength-the PRESTO Trial.DysphagiaHow swallowing exercises were delivered made no difference: paper, app and face-to-face with a therapist gave the same swallowing function. Patients who completed at least 75% of the prescribed exercises had better preserved swallowing and stronger tongue muscles.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2023A systematic review and meta-analysis of suicidality in autistic and possibly autistic people without co-occurring intellectual disability.Molecular autismPooled across 36 studies, 34.2% of autistic and possibly autistic people without intellectual disability reported suicidal thoughts, 21.9% had made a suicide plan and 24.3% had attempted suicide. Rates were much lower when a parent reported them than when the person did.
• SLPRCT2022Evaluation of the I-PLAN Intervention to Promote Hearing Aid Use in New Adult Users: a Randomized Controlled Trial.Ear and hearingA hearing aid box used as a reminder backfired: reported hearing aid use fell (73.4% versus 79.9% of the time) and self-regulation fell too. A written when-and-where plan raised reported use (81.0% versus 71.8%). Hearing aid benefit was unchanged.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2022Atypical structural connectivity of language networks in autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging studies.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchPeople with autism showed weaker white matter connections in the tracts that carry language, most clearly in children and on the left side of the brain. Adults showed little difference on the main measure. No treatment was tested.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2022Gaze and social functioning associations in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAcross 95 studies, autistic children and adults who looked longer at faces and eyes tended to have lower autism symptom severity. Time spent looking at mouths told you almost nothing.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2026Sensitivity and Expected Change of Commonly Used Social Communication Measures in Longitudinal Research of Young Autistic Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersOnly five of the social-communication measures studied changed more as the measurement period got longer, so most of the tools used to track young autistic children may not capture gradual progress. Standard scores showed the smallest change.
• SLPRCT2025A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Efficacy of Pre-School Language Interventions-Building Early Sentences Therapy and an Adapted Derbyshire Language Scheme.International journal of language & communication disordersBoth Building Early Sentences Therapy and an adapted Derbyshire Language Scheme improved preschool children's language. BEST produced larger gains in talking, and kept gaining after the intervention ended. The two were equal on understanding during the intervention and on communicative participation.
• SLPRCT2025Pharyngeal Residues Scoring through the Yale Pharyngeal Residue Severity Rating Scale (YPRSRS): Efficacy of Training.DysphagiaA 160-minute online course did not bring clinicians' pharyngeal residue scores on FEES videos any closer to expert ratings than untrained colleagues, and agreement between raters did not change. Only pyriform sinus video scores improved within the trained group.
• SLPRCT2025Efficacy of the adapted Cycles approach in telepractice speech-language pathology with a parental focus for children with speech sound disorders.CoDASChildren with speech sound disorders improved with the adapted Cycles approach by video call, whether all 12 sessions were run by the therapist or 6 were run by a trained parent. Only ten children took part, so treat the parent-led result as a signal, not proof.