Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurological development with social and communication deficits and sensory abnormalities. Sensory problems have a significant impact on daily life. Multisensory environments (MSEs), such as Snoezelen^® rooms, offer controlled sensory stimulation. This study aims to evaluate the effect of MSE intervention with self-controlled sensory interactions on adaptive developmental skills and sensory responses in preschool ASD children. Methods: This pilot study was single-blind, randomized, controlled, and adhered to the CONSORT guidelines. Twenty participants were recruited and randomized into two groups: the control group (CG) underwent treatment as usual (TAU) with individual rehabilitation sessions of psychomotor therapy. The experimental group (EG) underwent TAU integrated with the use of an MSE. Developmental abilities and severity levels were assessed, pre-post, with the Psychoeducational Profile, Third Edition (PEP-3) and the Second Edition Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS-2). Results: A significant difference in taste, smell, and tactile behaviors according to the CARS-2, as well as in gross motor skills according to the PEP-3, was observed in the EG. Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that MSE-integrated intervention may be a valid strategy to improve self-management of the sensory profile in autistic individuals. Further studies are needed to better identify the intervention methodology and effectiveness.

Language disorders are characterized by impairments in verbal expression/understanding, including difficulties with one or more language components. The Virtual Reality Rehabilitation System (VRRS) is a bioelectromedical device equipped with exercise sections aimed at improving cognitive and language deficits. It also increases patient motivation and engagement. The aim of our study was to test the feasibility and efficacy of VRRS intervention to improve speech therapy treatment for children with speech disorders. Thirty-two patients were enrolled in this study and randomly assigned to the experimental (EG) or control group (CG). The CG underwent conventional speech therapy, while EG underwent VRRS-implemented speech therapy. Both groups were evaluated before (T0) and after (T1) the intervention using the Language Assessment Test. The results showed improvements in both groups. However, the EG group showed greater improvement in various areas, including comprehension of total words, repetition, naming of body parts, naming of everyday objects, total naming, morphosyntactic accuracy, sentence construction, average length of utterance, and spontaneous word production. This study demonstrated that VRRS can be a valuable tool for implementing effective speech rehabilitation. Further studies are needed, as the use of VRRS is still in its early stages, requiring larger samples sizes and long-term follow-up.

Among the shared pathogenetic mechanisms leading to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), a dysregulated inflammatory response has been described as a convergent pathway in NDDs. This scoping review was registered in the OSF database. It was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews, utilizing a comprehensive literature search of major academic databases, including PubMed and Web of Science. The search was performed until 1 March 2025, using a combination of predefined search terms and Boolean operators (AND, OR) to ensure a comprehensive identification of relevant studies. A comprehensive summary of the evidence on immunological and neuroinflammatory pathways underlying the NDDs is shown. This review also reports evidence on early-onset presentation of schizophrenia spectrum and obsessive–compulsive disorder since clinical researchers are beginning to consider these conditions neurodevelopmental disorders. Furthermore, this review outlines the recently described clinical entity, PANS (Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome), and its clinical and pathogenetic contact points with NDDs, delineating a spectrum of disorders that share common pathogenetic pathways. This scoping review improves the awareness of immune/neuroinflammatory correlates supporting NDDs. Furthermore, it suggests adopting a transnosographic approach to neuropsychiatric disorders, including PANS as a syndromic construct that overlaps with NDDs.

Background/Objectives: Motor difficulties are commonly reported in autistic individuals, but they are not currently part of the diagnostic criteria. A better understanding of how motor impairments are assessed in this population is critical to inform clinical practice and intervention. This systematic review aims to evaluate the existing literature on motor skill assessment in autistic children and adolescents, focusing specifically on studies that employed standardized and validated clinical motor assessment tools. Methods: Registered on PROSPERO (CRD42025637880), a systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science until 31 December 2024. The review includes: (a) studies published in peer-reviewed journals; (b) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies; (c) evaluations of motor difficulties using standardized and validated clinical assessments specifically designed to measure motor skills or coordination abilities; (d) participants diagnosed with ASD based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV or DSM-5) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9 or ICD-10); and (e) participants aged ≤18 years; Results: Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies reported significant motor impairments across various domains, including balance, manual dexterity, and coordination. However, there was substantial variability in the severity of motor deficits and in the assessment tools used. Methodological heterogeneity limited direct comparison across studies. Conclusions: Motor impairments are common in autistic children and adolescents; however, current assessment tools show limitations and require adaptations. The findings underscore the need for autism-specific motor assessments to improve diagnostic accuracy and guide personalized interventions.

Introduction: Over the years, the conceptual approach to pediatric rehabilitation has reevaluated the parent's role in the therapeutic process, considering parental involvement as a necessary condition for the effectiveness of the intervention. In the field of pediatric intervention, the therapeutic use of robots represents a growing clinical interest, but the feasibility and applicability of these robotic interventions, including those involving parents, remain unclear. This systematic review aims to investigate parental involvement in robot-mediated interventions (RMI) for children and adolescents in the current literature. Our main goal is to analyze and summarize all existing studies to discuss and draw future research directions and implications for clinical practice.Method: After collecting results from 1,106 studies, the studies selected were analyzed using thematic analysis. The literature review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines by searching databases such as PubMed and Web of Science until 07 February 2023. Studies that met the following inclusion criteria were included: (1) the use of a robot as a therapeutic-rehabilitation tool and (2) the presence/involvement of parents/caregivers in child-robot therapeutic sessions.Results: A total of 10 articles were included. The extracted data included study design, participant characteristics, type of robot used, outcome measures, aim, and type of intervention. The results reveal that parental involvement in RMI could be feasible and useful in improving intervention efficacy, particularly in improving the child's social-communicative abilities and the caregiver's educational skills.Discussion: RMI intervention with parental participation could be a useful therapeutic strategy in pediatrics. However, to date, few studies have investigated this specific topic, and the reported results may enhance future research to understand its effectiveness in specific areas of use.Systematic review registration: identifier: CRD42024553214.

Global developmental delay (GDD) is a complex disorder that requires multimodal treatment involving different developmental skills. The objective of this single-blind, randomized, controlled pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of conventional rehabilitation programs integrated with the BTs-Nirvana virtual reality system. Patients with GDD aged 12 to 66 months were enrolled and treated for a 48-session cycle. Patients were randomized into two groups, (1) conventional treatment and (2) conventional treatment supplemented with the use of BTs-Nirvana, in a 1:1 ratio. Before and after treatments, areas of global development were tested with the Griffiths-III Mental Developmental Scale and the clinical indicator of global improvement were measured with the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement (CGI-I). Feasibility was confirmed by the high retention rate. The experimental group presented a significantly improvement in General Quotient (GQ) after treatment (GQ, p = 0.02), and the effect of the two treatments was significantly different in both the GQ (t =2.44; p = 0.02) and the Foundations of Learning subscale (t =3.66; p < 0.01). The overall improvement was also confirmed by the CGI-I (p = 0.03). According to these preliminary data, virtual reality can be considered a useful complementary tool to boost the effectiveness of conventional therapy in children with GDD.