Physical Rehabilitation and Exercise Science in Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Disorders
A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Neurology & Neurodevelopmental Disorders".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 November 2025 | Viewed by 1075
Special Issue Editors
Interests: motor delays/deficits; pediatric developmental disorders; movement therapies; ASD; children with impairments
Interests: pediatric physical therapy; motor development in typical, at-risk and atypical pediatric populations (specifically focusing on premature infants and children with autism spectrum disorders); knowledge translation in the areas of motor learning and early detection of autism spectrum disorder
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Developmental Coordination Disorder, Intellectual Disability, Specific Learning Disorders, and others, are complex multisystem disorders characterized by motor, cognitive, social, and behavioral impairments. The reporting of the global prevalence of NDDs ranges between 10 and 15% (can fluctuate between 4 and 88% according to Frances et al., 2022). NDDs could have short- and long-term impacts on the health and quality of life of children.
Physical rehabilitation and exercise are evidence-based, cost-effective treatment approaches with multi-faceted effects, such as improvements in physical fitness, executive functioning, academic skills, and social participation of children and adolescents with NDDs. A broad range of treatment approaches have been implemented and examined ranging from traditional approaches (e.g., aerobic activity, treadmill training, cycling), recreational and leisure activities (swimming, tennis), complementary and alternative approaches (yoga, meditation, tai chi), and contemporary technology (virtual reality, robotic therapy). Such interventions often draw on evidence-based strategies and physical activity guidelines derived from neurotypical populations, recognizing the fundamental role of movement in childhood.
This Special Issue aims to explore the efficacy, feasibility, and implementation of various physical rehabilitation and exercise interventions for pediatric NDDs. In addition, we invite submissions that address evaluation and measurement strategies used within this context—particularly the development, validation, and application of outcome measures, assessment tools, diagnostic frameworks, and novel metrics for monitoring change across intervention timelines. These topics can also be framed within the broader context of typical development, serving as a valuable reference for understanding pediatric NDDs.
We are seeking original research and review articles that contribute to a deeper understanding of both established and emerging intervention strategies, their short- and long-term outcomes, and how these are assessed. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current landscape and future directions in physical rehabilitation for children and adolescents with NDDs.
Dr. Maninderjit Kaur
Dr. Osnat Atun-Einy
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- physical activity
- rehabilitation
- movement
- exercise
- pediatrics
- neurodevelopmental disorders
- autism
- intellectual disability
- DCD
- CP
- FASD
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