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Allied health news

Braille is everywhere blind adults navigate—so why has it nearly vanished from mobility training?

For a blind person, braille is more than just a tool for reading books. It's essential for navigating space, and is used on everything from signage to elevator buttons to 3D tactile maps. Yet very few orientation and mobility ...

Why squishy toys feel so good: What the NeeDoh craze reveals about brain and sensory needs

NeeDoh is the latest squishy sensory toy to go viral. Social media is reporting how these blobs of gel are flying off the shelves, and are in short supply.

From fear to trust: How music is transforming dental care

Treating patients who have spent years—sometimes decades—avoiding dental care because of fear, disability, trauma or painful past experiences can be challenging. "They are afraid and don't want to be treated," said Adela ...

Research uncovers gaps in stuttering care

Variability in an individual's stuttering pattern has long posed challenges for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) when treating clients, but new research led by Charles Darwin University (CDU) and Michigan State University ...

Does my child have a language disorder?

A baby's first words are a source of pride for parents, but when they're late in coming, it can be a source of worry. While most kids catch up, those whose language troubles persist may have a condition called DLD.

Physiotherapist turnover intention threatening patient care

Nearly 40% of public-sector physiotherapists want to leave their current job, posing a substantial threat to workforce stability and quality of patient care, University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka research has found. The ...

How far can automation and AI support psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy has always been a deeply human endeavor: a patient talking, a therapist listening and responding, and healing happening through words. But with the rapid rise of conversational artificial intelligence, particularly ...

The dark side of music as 'therapy'

A violinist plays in a cancer ward. A playlist loops in the waiting room. A surgeon hums along to the radio mid-operation. We assume, almost without thinking, that music helps. But what if it doesn't—or worse, what if it ...

New study aims to help NHS turn ideas into action quicker

Researchers from the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian have developed a new, practical approach to help NHS Health Boards plan and implement innovation more effectively—in spite of increasing pressures on time, workforce ...

Using augmented reality to motivate prosthesis training

Artificial limbs look and function more like real limbs than ever before—but that's only helpful if they are used as intended. One of the main reasons amputees give for not using their body-powered prosthesis is a lack of ...

Hospitals are failing to identify malnutrition

Malnutrition not only negatively impacts health, but also causes poor healing and increased infection risks, lengthening hospital stays and further burdening an under-resourced system. One in three hospital patients are not ...

'Smart' bandage tracks wound status in real-time

Millions of people in the United States have chronic wounds, including those living with diabetes, patients recovering from burns, post-surgical patients and other people with injuries. For clinicians, early detection of ...