THE INDEX

Every paper we have read

Each one summarised from the full article, not its abstract, and kept only if it speaks to physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology or nursing. Newest first.

35,183 PAPERS · PAGE 629 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPCohort2026Investigating the Predictive Validity of the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 in Children at Elevated Likelihood for Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersQ-CHAT and ADOS-2 often missed later autism in toddlers with an autistic sibling, or flagged children who did not receive a diagnosis. They may help rule out autism, but should not be used alone to decide who needs assessment.
• SLPCohort2026Disparities in Receipt of Early Intervention Services by Toddlers with Autism Diagnoses: an Intersectional Latent Class Analysis of Demographic Factors.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAmong Massachusetts toddlers with autism, children in the U.S.-born White parents group received 12.0 weekly early intervention hours, versus 6.9 for children in the Latiné immigrant poverty group. Service hours did not simply match child needs.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptom Profiles in Fragile X Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex and Neurofibromatosis Type 1.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with rare genetic syndromes do not share one autism symptom profile. Clinical observation and parent reports often disagreed, with some children showing high repetitive behaviors but normal social interaction, or vice versa. This mismatch means assessment tools must be interpreted together rather than separately.
• SLPCohort2026A Longitudinal Study of Head Circumference Trajectories in Autism and Autistic Traits.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism had larger head circumference than controls, but the difference disappeared when height was considered. Children with elevated autistic traits showed no initial difference and only a small lower head circumference after accounting for sex.
• SLPOther2026Prediction by Young Autistic Children from Visual and Spoken Input.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn a lab task with changing rules, autistic toddlers matched on cognition adjusted to new linguistic cues faster than neurotypical peers. This suggests a preference for recent experience over prior learning, though it is unclear if this helps or hinders real-world language acquisition.
• Other2026Is neurodiversity a Global Northern White paradigm?Autism : the international journal of research and practiceThis article critiques the academic field of neurodiversity for ignoring Indigenous knowledge and racialized experiences. It contains no clinical data, patient outcomes, or therapy techniques, so it does not change how you treat patients.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Factors Related to Depression Symptoms in Chronic Poststroke Aphasia.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn chronic left-hemisphere stroke survivors, depression symptoms tracked with self-reported communication and cognitive disability, low social participation, and poor perceived recovery. Physical impairment and clinician-scored language severity were unrelated. Screen for mood when patients report daily life struggles.
• SLPRCT2026Cultural Adaptation of RUBI Intervention with Korean Families (K-RUBI): A Mixed Method Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersKorean mothers reported greater confidence and knowledge after eight weeks of telehealth parent training, but the study did not prove the program reduced their children's challenging behaviors compared with a waitlist group.
• OTSLPQualitative2026"He Just Wants Someone to Hear Him and Listen to Him": Barriers and Facilitators to Autistic Youth with Anxiety Receiving Quality Mental Healthcare.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic youth and caregivers described how therapy fails when it ignores sensory needs, rigid schedules, and lack of rapport. They valued providers who use visual aids, incorporate special interests, and allow time for trust. Telehealth helped some avoid office meltdowns but hindered connection for others.
• SLPCohort2026A Longitudinal Study of Aggression in People with Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAggression in autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities peaked at age 9, with 68.8% showing some aggression, then fell to 41.8% by age 18. School-age aggression, not toddler aggression, was linked to aggression at 18.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Gesture Imitation Performance and Visual Exploration in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn young children with autism, gesture imitation scores did not differ from typically developing peers, but imitation quality was linked to age and developmental skills. Looking at the demonstrator's face did not predict imitation accuracy. Meaningful gestures were harder for children with more severe autism symptoms.
• SLPCohort2026Exploring Metalinguistic Awareness in School-Aged Autistic Children: Insights from Grammatical Judgment.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children did not differ from neurotypical children on a short, picture-based sentence judgment task. Age and non-verbal reasoning were linked to scores, not autism status.
• PTRCT2025The effect of a combined exercise program on different surfaces on gastrocnemius muscle activation in young athletes.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFour weeks of sprint and plyometric drills increased gastrocnemius muscle activation in young runners on both sand and tartan surfaces. Tartan training produced greater activation changes on the right leg, while sand produced greater changes on the left leg. No single surface proved superior overall.
• PTOTPilot2025Clinical usability and functional outcomes of a lightweight robotic orthosis (HKAFO) in chronic stroke patients with hemiplegic gait: a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationChronic stroke patients walked faster and balanced better after training with a lightweight robotic orthosis, but gains appeared mostly while wearing the device. Unassisted endurance changed little. Participants found the device heavy and difficult to put on, preferring their usual walking aids.
• RCT2025A patient-specific, 3D printed neurostimulator enabling focal transcranial electrical stimulation and EEG at home.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn computer models of ten head shapes, a custom 3D-printed cap produced a more consistent target stimulation field, and eight healthy users completed all sessions with no serious adverse effects. It shows device usability, not that stimulation treats a condition.
• OTOther2025Construct validity of self-reported and interview-guided administration methods of the Danish version of the post-COVID-19 functional Status scale.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThe Danish PCFS scale did not reliably capture work-related limitations in patients on sick leave, and its three scoring methods did not agree, so grades should not be used alone for return-to-work decisions.
• PTOTOther2025Fatigue influences embodiment perception and motor performance in multiple sclerosis subjects: a cross-sectional immersive virtual reality study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFatigued MS patients moved their hands slower and felt less ownership of the virtual body than non-fatigued ones, despite similar disease severity. VR training was highly enjoyable and safe for all, but MS itself did not worsen performance compared to healthy controls.
• PTQualitative2025Exploring Impacts of Integrating a Rehabilitation Dog into Physiotherapy from the Perspectives of Children with Cerebral Palsy and Their Caregivers.NeuroRehabilitationChildren with cerebral palsy and caregivers reported that a rehabilitation dog in physiotherapy provided physical steadiness, emotional safety and enjoyment. They said the bond made sessions feel more personal and encouraged trying walking tasks.
• PTOTOther2025Lateral weight transfer deficits reveal balance vulnerability in early-stage Parkinson's disease during trip-perturbed walking.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHalf the early Parkinson's participants could not recover stability by the third step after a simulated trip, despite passing standard clinical balance tests. Their failure was linked to reduced lateral weight transfer, suggesting balance deficits are task-specific and require perturbation-based assessment.
• OTOther2026Parental Representations and Emotional Availability: The Case of Children with Autism and Severe Behavior Problems.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAmong families of children with autism and severe behavior problems, mothers who had come to terms with the diagnosis or spoke more warmly about their child showed more emotionally available play. Fathers who described their child more clearly were also more emotionally available in play.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Sociodemographic and Clinical Profile of 915 Autistic Preschoolers Engaged in Intensive Early Intervention in Australia.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren entering intensive early intervention showed severe delays in adaptive and cognitive skills, with communication and expressive language being the weakest areas. Despite these high support needs, parental stress levels were similar to general autism samples rather than elevated.
• SLPOther2026Movement Coordination's Link with Common Ground During Dyadic Peer Discourse in Typically Developing and Autistic Speakers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children and adolescents could build shared understanding with peers, but they used more words and took longer than typically developing peers. Better motor skills and coordination with a partner linked to shorter, faster conversations, especially under age 10.
• SLPSurvey2026Context-Specific Resilience Through a Cultural Lens: Social-Ecological Factors Among Chinese Families of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities reported more stress and less emotional flexibility, coping, self-kindness, family support and social support. Emotional flexibility and family support were linked to lower stress and fewer child difficulties.
• OTSLPOther2026Determinants of Positive Evolution of Symptoms in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) during the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (DRC).Journal of autism and developmental disordersDuring lockdown, 42.6% of parents reported positive changes in their child's autism symptoms. Parents spending more than 8 hours daily with the child and improvements in language or autonomy were associated with positive evolution. Conversely, parental depression and child comorbidities were linked to no change or deterioration.
• OTSLPOther2026The Mediating Role of Social Interactions and Early Psychopathological Symptoms in the Relationship Between Empathy and Prosociality in Young Children with ASD and Neurotypical Peers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAnxious children with autism showed more prosocial behaviour than less anxious peers, while anxiety did not predict prosociality in neurotypical children. Parents reported lower empathy and social interaction in children with autism, but similar levels of anxiety between groups.
• SLPSystematic Review2026Gender Diversity, Gender Dysphoria/Incongruence, and the Intersection with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Updated Scoping Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutism diagnoses appear in 0.61% of all participants across 99 studies, while gender diversity appears in 0.14%. Research remains heavily focused on adults and lacks data on those with intellectual disability. Current assessment methods often fail to capture non-binary identities or accommodate varied communication needs.
• SLPOther2026A Multi-Method Approach for the Identification of Social Functioning Profiles in Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults Without Intellectual Disability.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adolescents without intellectual disability split into two social profiles: one more withdrawn, the one less engaged in interactions. Both had similar motivation. Parents rated the less engaged group as having worse social skills and more mental health difficulties.
• Qualitative2026Community Provider Perspectives on an Autism Learning Health Network: A Qualitative Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCommunity physicians feel overwhelmed by administrative burdens and lack of support staff, making them hesitant to join autism networks. They need financial compensation, allied health help, and minimal paperwork to participate, not just clinical tools.
• OTSLPOther2026Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Psy-Flex Among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe Chinese Psy-Flex reliably measures psychological flexibility in parents of children with autism. It takes about 5 minutes to complete and accurately distinguishes parents with high stress from those without, offering a brief tool for tracking mental health in this group.
• Survey2026Alexithymia, Inner Thinking Patterns, and Perceptions of Mental Health Therapy Strategies Among Autistic Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults with higher alexithymia or less self-talk found cognitive strategies harder to use, while visual thinkers found guided imagery easier. However, these thinking patterns did not predict whether any therapy strategy was actually helpful. Ease of use does not equal effectiveness.
• SLPQualitative2026"It's Really Complicated": Engaging Key Stakeholders to Inform a Novel Parent-led Sexual Health Education Program for Autistic Youth.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults and parents want sexual health education to happen at home, tailored to the child's needs and identity. They highlighted gaps in school programs, risks from online content, and the need to teach self-advocacy and safety skills explicitly.
• OTSLPCohort2026Associations of Autistic Traits and Autism with Incontinence and Constipation in a UK Birth Cohort.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with high autistic traits, especially social-communication and language coherence difficulties, had higher odds of daytime wetting and soiling at age 9. At age 14, autistic traits were also linked to constipation. Screen for continence issues in autistic children.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Impact of single-event multilevel surgery on gait efficiency in children with cerebral palsy: a retrospective study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineChildren with cerebral palsy who had single-event multilevel surgery improved their walking efficiency and overall gait quality. They walked with better knee extension and stronger ankle push-off, though their speed did not increase. These changes were seen in a retrospective study without a true control group.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Beyond the joystick: deep learning games for hand movement recovery.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA camera-based game system recognized hand gestures with 85% to 95% accuracy in 15 healthy adults. Users rated its usability as good, suggesting it is technically feasible for home rehabilitation. It has not yet been tested for clinical effectiveness in patients.
• PTOTRCT2025Effects of unilateral lower limb exoskeleton robot on gait improvement and brain function in patients with chronic stroke: a randomized clinical trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding two weeks of unilateral exoskeleton walking training to routine rehab improved walking speed and stride length more than routine rehab alone. It did not improve daily independence, and brain activation changes were only within the robot group.
• PTOTOther2025Automatic multi-IMU-based deep learning evaluation of intensity during static standing balance training exercises.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWearable sensors can estimate how hard a balance exercise is for a patient. A model using data from the thighs and lower back matched the average rating of physical therapists watching video, suggesting it could help monitor home training intensity.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Neuromodulation effects of low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound in human, a systematic review focusing on motor and sensory functions.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationLow-intensity focused ultrasound changed brain excitability in a dose-dependent way. Specific settings suppressed motor activity during stimulation, while others boosted it for 30 minutes after. The effects were on lab measures, not function. No clinical improvement was shown.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2025Noninvasive brain stimulation for upper limb motor activity in children and young adults with cerebral palsy and pediatric stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding brain stimulation to therapy did not improve upper limb movement in children with cerebral palsy or stroke. The combined treatment showed no benefit over standard care alone, so clinicians should not expect these stimulation techniques to enhance motor recovery on their own.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Influence of age, cognitive function, attention, and mental state on the effectiveness of EEG-based brain-computer interface device use: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMotor imagery BCIs are sensitive to age and cognitive decline, while visual-based systems like P300 and SSVEP remain stable across groups. Fatigue and low attention significantly reduce control accuracy, requiring shorter sessions or adaptive feedback for effective rehabilitation.
• PTOther2025Tug-vimu: a GoPro-based mobility assessment bridging the gap between technology and clinical practice.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 16 healthy adults, a GoPro chest-camera TUG system detected 98% of gait steps and measured step length and duration reliably at slow and regular speeds. Some turning and sit-to-stand metrics missed predefined error targets.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Mild multiple sclerosis challenges shape work experiences, affect self-concept, and are often trivialized despite disclosure.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with mild multiple sclerosis who had disclosed their diagnosis still hid work struggles. They feared being seen as incompetent or lazy, not just disabled. This silence prevented managers from making adjustments. Clinicians should discuss specific task barriers, not just the diagnosis, to help patients keep their jobs.
• PTOTPilot2025The Soleus H-Reflex as a Biomarker of Post-Injury Spasticity in Spinal Cord Injury: A Conceptual Pilot Study.NeuroRehabilitationEarly spinal reflex measures correlated with existing spasticity and motor strength at admission, but failed to predict new spasticity by discharge. Reduced post-activation depression was associated with spasticity, yet the small sample prevents clinical use.
• PTOther2025A model of the cerebellum generates gait adaptations in a reflex-based neuromusculoskeletal model during split-belt walking.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding a cerebellum model to a computer simulation of walking allowed it to adapt to split-belt speeds by changing timing alone, without adjusting reflexes. This suggests timing control is sufficient for temporal adaptations, but reflex changes are likely still needed to fully match human spatial gait adjustments.
• Narrative Review2025Global practices in AT provision: considerations for a national assistive technology policy for health in India.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThis paper proposes a national policy for assistive technology access in India. It identifies gaps in current schemes and outlines a framework for better provision, but it contains no clinical trial data or patient outcomes for therapists to act on.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Facing Change and Uncertainty: Lessons Learned from Autistic Children and their Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFamilies reported both worsening and improving outcomes during lockdown. Children with sensory or social needs often struggled with lost structure, but others saw reduced anxiety and better communication from increased one-to-one time at home. Support services and school continuity were critical gaps.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Employing a Phased, Interdisciplinary Approach Across Healthcare and School Settings: mHealth Adaptations for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder At-Risk of Experiencing Obesity.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFor youth with autism, participants said an obesity-prevention chatbot app should offer simple choices, safety prompts, visuals, and rewards, while fitting family life. They valued apps for teletherapy and home programs, but worried about cost, time, and parent burden.
• PTOTOther2026What are the characteristics of patients requiring reconditioning admitted to tertiary care inpatient rehabilitation services? An exploratory audit.Clinical rehabilitationReconditioning patients are far more numerous and diverse than expected, with 16% aged 60 or under. Younger patients stay longer and have different discharge patterns, suggesting a one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective.
• PTOTRCT2026The effectiveness of the UniReliever offloading knee brace for treating medial knee osteoarthritis: A randomized clinical trial.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalPatients with medial knee osteoarthritis who wore either the UniReliever or Unloader One X brace for six weeks walked significantly farther without pain than controls. Both braces performed similarly, with no significant difference between them.
• SLPSurvey2026College Students Recognize Characteristics of Autism, but Struggle to Differentiate Between Characteristics of Autism and Other Disabilities.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCollege students recognized autism traits as diagnostic more accurately than they rejected ADHD, anxiety and learning-disability traits. When they mislabeled those traits as autism, they were often more confident, not less.
• SLPCohort2026Mathematical Proficiency in Adolescents with ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdolescents with ASD showed lower math scores overall than peers, but performance varied widely by individual. Some had age-appropriate skills, while others struggled specifically with procedures and algebra, suggesting the need for personalized educational assessments.