Maninder Kaur is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Dr. Kaur completed her physical therapy education in India and soon after moved to the US for higher education. She completed her doctoral degree from the Biomechanics & Movement Sciences department at the University of Delaware, which currently hosts the #1 Physical Therapy Program in the country. She then continued her research training as a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University with Dr. Amy Needham in Infant Learning Lab.

  • BPhT, Physical Therapy, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India
  • MS, Kinesiology & Exercise Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
  • PhD, Biomechanics & Movement Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE

Dr. Kaur’s research is focused on understanding the motor delays in children with neuromotor disorders such as Down Syndrome (DS) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She is interested in examining the impact of motor delays on other domains of development such as cognitive, language, and social development of children. The ultimate goal of her research is to devise multi-system interventions which can impact the global development of children with DS and ASD. Further, her goal is to promote use of play-based assessments and interventions which are fun and inherently engaging for children.

Dr. Kaur has published numerous papers - some titles are highlighted below. You can view a complete listing of Dr. Kaur's publications on ResearchGate or in her CV. 

 

Comparing motor performance, praxis, coordination, and interpersonal synchrony between children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Increased Prevalence of Unusual Sensory Behaviors in Infants at Risk for, and Teens with, Autism Spectrum Disorder

Atypical object exploration in infants at-risk for autism during the first year of life

The effects of rhythm and robotic interventions on the imitation/praxis, interpersonal synchrony, and motor performance of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). 

Effects of robot-child interactions on the bilateral coordination skills of typically developing children and a child with autism: Preliminary study. 

 

See ResearchGate Profile

 

In addition, Dr. Kaur regularly presents at conferences and industry events. Please see her CV for a complete list of presentations.

Object exploration in infants with and without Down Syndrome at 52nd Annual Gatlinburg Conference.

Kinematic assessment of reaching movements in school-going children with Down Syndrome at 52nd Annual Gatlinburg Conference.

Improving Learning in Infants with Down Syndrome at LuMind RDS.

Novel movement-based interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder at Brown Bag Series, Vanderbilt University.

Creative yoga intervention for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

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