How Variability Is Addressed in Interventions for Neurodiverse Conditions: Implications for Stuttering.

Researchers looked at how different conditions like autism, ADHD, and anxiety manage the fact that symptoms can vary a lot between people and situations. They found 55 studies showing useful strategies like collecting real-time information, personalizing treatments, and adapting approaches based on individual needs. The researchers believe these methods could help improve support for people who stutter by making treatments more individualized and better at measuring how stuttering changes in different situations.

This scoping review examined how variability in behavior and experiences is addressed across various neurodiverse conditions (autism, ADHD, anxiety, mood disorders, Tourette syndrome) to inform stuttering interventions. Reviewing 55 studies from 2000-2025, researchers identified key assessment strategies including real-time data collection through ecological momentary assessment and contextual analysis with tailored rating scales. Key management strategies included personalized treatment approaches, adaptive treatment models, cognitive therapy techniques, environmental modifications, and psychoeducation. The review suggests these cross-disciplinary approaches could improve variability measurement and enable more personalized interventions for individuals who stutter, potentially enhancing quality of life through better assessment and treatment methods.

Findings suggest speech-language pathologists could benefit from adopting assessment tools like ecological momentary assessment and treatment approaches such as adaptive models from other neurodiverse conditions. Implementation of personalized, context-aware interventions may improve outcomes for individuals who stutter by better accounting for variability in symptoms and experiences.

As a scoping review, this study provides broad overview rather than detailed analysis. The application of findings specifically to stuttering remains theoretical. Sample sizes and methodological quality of included studies are not reported, limiting assessment of evidence strength.

This scoping review aimed to investigate strategies from peer-reviewed literature for addressing behavioral and experiential variability in neurodiverse conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mood disorders, and Tourette syndrome. Specifically, we explored how approaches used with other conditions could be adapted to better account for variability in the assessment and treatment of stuttering. A comprehensive search of Google Scholar, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted for studies published between 2000 and March 2025, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Fifty-five studies met inclusion criteria by describing methods for measuring or managing variability across situations, across tasks, or over time.

A narrative synthesis was used to analyze and interpret findings. Key strategies for addressing variability in assessment included real-time data collection through ecological momentary assessment and contextual analysis using tailored rating scales. Key strategies for managing variability included personalized treatment, adaptive treatment models, cognitive therapy techniques, environmental modifications, and psychoeducation. These methods hold potential for improving the evaluation and management of variability within the population of individuals who stutter.

Adapting strategies from other neurodiverse conditions to stuttering has the potential to offer benefits such as improved measurement of variability and more personalized interventions. This review emphasizes the value of cross-disciplinary approaches to enhance quality of life for those who stutter.