Dance for Children With Autism

NCT04762290 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 20-001680-AM-00005
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 35
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Motor impairments are prominent in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopment disorders, and these impairments often impact the individual's ability to engage in organized physical activity programs (OPA). While many studies have identified dance and creative movement to be retrospectively and anecdotally therapeutic, there remains a paucity of literature regarding outcomes associated with these programs, and specifically, their impact on (1) perceived and objective gross and fine motor skills, (2) perceived ability to succeed in related or divergent goals or tasks, (3) quality of life for affected individuals and their caregivers. (4) adaptive function and socialization, (5) social communication This study explores the impact of organized dance and creative movement classes on children with autism (ages 8-12) and their caregivers. Participants will complete a set of surveys and assessments designed to measure the above metrics (labeled 1, 2, and 3) at their first study visit. This initial assessment is expected to take place within two weeks prior to beginning the intervention (either a wait period or a series of 1-hour dance classes, which children will attend weekly for 10 weeks). The second and final study visit will consist of a similar set of surveys and assessments designed to measure the same metrics within the two weeks following completion of the dance class series. Participants who have completed the wait period at this point will then begin their set of 10 weekly dance classes. Expected duration of participation in the study is no longer than 14 weeks in total.

Conditions

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (9)

• Movement Assessment Battery for Children Checklist

  Motor questionnaire. Higher scores indicate a worse outcome

  10 minutes

• Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale

  A measure of adaptive behavior and motor skills. The minimum value is 21 and maximum value is 140. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.

  45 minutes

• Perceived Motor Competence Scale Parent Report

  A measure of perceived motor skills in the child. Higher scores indicate a better outcome. Scores are based on a likert scale of 1-4. The minimum score is 18 and the maximum score is 72.

  5 minutes

• Perceived Motor Competence Scale Child Report

  A measure of perceived motor skills in the child (participant). Higher scores indicate a better outcome. The minimum score is 13 and the maximum score is 52.

  5 minutes

• Brief Observation of Social Communication Change

  A videotaped observational coding of a child's social communication behavior.

  10 minutes

• Parenting Stress Scale

  Measure of factors related to caregiver stress

  5 minutes

• Lifespan Self-Esteem Scale

  Measure of self-esteem/self-confidence

  2 minutes

• Autism Impact Measure

  Measure of child's behaviors and the degree of impact on everyday functioning

  10 minutes

• Quantitative Gait Assessment

  Direct motor measure in which the child walks across a mat with embedded sensors. The mat used in this study is the Zeno Walkway Gait Analysis System. This assessment includes self-regulated walking, fast walking, and standing balance.

  10 minutes

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Social responsiveness scale

  15 minutes

• Survey for adults

  10 minutes

• Survey for children

  10 minutes

Study Arms (2)

Active Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This group will receive the intervention in the first 10 weeks of the study. The intervention is a dance intervention that consists of a series of expressive movements.

Other: Dance

Waitlist Control

OTHER

This group will receive the intervention in the second 10 weeks of the study (after the active group and after pre-post assessments in the first 10 weeks during the time of no intervention).

Other: Dance

Interventions

Dance OTHER

The intervention is a series of expressive dance movements.

Also known as: expressive movement

Active Group; Waitlist Control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 8 Years - 12 Years
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Children must be between the ages of 8 to 12
• A diagnosis of a autism
• Complex speech/fully verbal

You may not qualify if:

• Children younger than 8 years of age
• Children older than 12 years of age
• Children without a diagnosis of autism
• Children who are not fully verbal (i.e. phrased speech, single words, or non-speaking)
• Children who have previously participated in dance classes held by the Dance program called the Expressive Movement Initiative

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Los Angeles: lead
• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine

Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Anderson JT, Toolan C, Coker E, Singer H, Pham D, Jackson N, Lord C, Wilson RB. A novel dance intervention program for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities: a pilot randomized control trial. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2024 May 14;16(1):109. doi: 10.1186/s13102-024-00897-3.

  PMID: 38745176 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Rujuta B Wilson, MD

  University of California, Los Angeles

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Certain direct outcome measure assessors will be masked
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: The study model is a waitlist control. There is an active group and a waitlist control group.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 17, 2021
• First Posted: February 21, 2021
• Study Start: January 31, 2021
• Primary Completion: August 30, 2024
• Study Completion: August 31, 2024
• Last Updated: April 16, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)