Past, present, and future of non-pharmacological interventions for autism spectrum disorder: A global bibliometric and thematic analysis (2001-2025).
8 affiliations
- 1School of Football, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China.
- 2School of Physical Education and Sports, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
- 3School of Physical Education & Sports Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- 4Adapted Physical Activity + Laboratory, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- 5School of Physical Education, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China.
- 6College of Physical Education, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou, Fujian, China.
- 7National Physical Fitness and Scientific Fitness Research Center, Beijing, China.
- 8Department of Physical Education, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, China.
Abstract
Background
Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) have become increasingly important in addressing the complex and heterogeneous needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly in light of the limitations associated with pharmacological treatments.Objective
This study aimed to systematically map the global research landscape and thematic evolution of NPIs for ASD from 2001 to 2025 using bibliometric approaches.Methods
A total of 341 English-language articles were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Microsoft Excel and Biblioshiny were employed to perform descriptive analysis, co-authorship network mapping, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and thematic evolution analysis based on Keywords Plus.Results
The findings indicate a sustained increase in research output, particularly after 2011, with publication volume peaking in 2024 and citation impact continuing to rise. Music therapy, applied behavior analysis, and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation emerged as the most influential intervention approaches. The United States led in both publication volume and academic impact, followed by China and the United Kingdom. Thematic evolution analysis revealed a gradual shift from behavior-oriented frameworks toward mechanism-informed and context-sensitive approaches, with increasing attention to early intervention, population heterogeneity, and family involvement.Conclusion
Research on NPIs for ASD is undergoing a transition toward more integrative, individualized, and evidence-based paradigms. Future studies should prioritize longitudinal designs, cross-cultural validation, and the translation of mechanistic insights into scalable, real-world interventions.
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BibTeX
@article{feng2026past,
title = {{Past, present, and future of non-pharmacological interventions for autism spectrum disorder: A global bibliometric and thematic analysis (2001-2025).}},
author = {Xiaowei Feng and Yu Song and Xuecheng Li and Yibei Yang and Dong Zhang and Yanfeng Zhang and Shanguang Zhao},
journal = {Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1097/md.0000000000051164},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42888638},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Past, present, and future of non-pharmacological interventions for autism spectrum disorder: A global bibliometric and thematic analysis (2001-2025).
AU - Xiaowei Feng
AU - Yu Song
AU - Xuecheng Li
AU - Yibei Yang
AU - Dong Zhang
AU - Yanfeng Zhang
AU - Shanguang Zhao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Medicine
DO - 10.1097/md.0000000000051164
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42888638
AB - Background Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) have become increasingly important in addressing the complex and heterogeneous needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly in light of the limitations associated with pharmacological treatments.Objective This study aimed to systematically map the global research landscape and thematic evolution of NPIs for ASD from 2001 to 2025 using bibliometric approaches.Methods A total of 341 English-language articles were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Microsoft Excel and Biblioshiny were employed to perform descriptive analysis, co-authorship network mapping, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and thematic evolution analysis based on Keywords Plus.Results The findings indicate a sustained increase in research output, particularly after 2011, with publication volume peaking in 2024 and citation impact continuing to rise. Music therapy, applied behavior analysis, and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation emerged as the most influential intervention approaches. The United States led in both publication volume and academic impact, followed by China and the United Kingdom. Thematic evolution analysis revealed a gradual shift from behavior-oriented frameworks toward mechanism-informed and context-sensitive approaches, with increasing attention to early intervention, population heterogeneity, and family involvement.Conclusion Research on NPIs for ASD is undergoing a transition toward more integrative, individualized, and evidence-based paradigms. Future studies should prioritize longitudinal designs, cross-cultural validation, and the translation of mechanistic insights into scalable, real-world interventions.
SN - 0304-5412
SN - 1536-5964
ER -