Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Skills on Wheels

NCT05339932 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 22-226-H
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 4
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Manual wheelchairs (MWCs) are widely used by children with physical disabilities, yet many of these children are unable to use their wheelchair independently. Instead, they depend on others to push them. This dependency results in limited opportunities to decide what they want to do and where they want to go, leading to learned helplessness, social isolation, decreased participation, and restricted involvement in physical activities. Furthermore, unsafe MWC use increases the risk of injury, as highlighted by the 44,300 children treated each year in emergency departments for MWC-related injuries. While independent MWC mobility can positively influence quality of life, MWC skills training must also be provided to promote safe, independent MWC use. The effectiveness of MWC training programs for adults is well established, yet the current standard-of-care does not include MWC skills training for children and research regarding the efficacy of pediatric MWC skills training programs is limited. Skills on Wheels seeks to address these gaps and provide pilot data for a future large-scale, multi-site research project involving a randomized controlled trial. Aim 1 is to explore the influence of Skills on Wheels on children's MWC skills and confidence in their MWC use. Aim 2 is to investigate the influence of Skills on Wheels on children's psychosocial skills, social participation, and adaptive behavior.

Conditions

Spina Bifida; Cerebral Palsy; Genetic Disease; Spinal Cord Injuries; Gross Motor Development Delay; Motor Skills Disorders

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Change in manual wheelchair skills performance

  This outcome will be assessed using the Wheelchair Skills Test (WST) and the Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) scales for performance. These complementary measures were designed to be used together and consist of a 0-3 rating scale for each of the 32 manual wheelchair skills included in these measures.

  Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention

• Change in manual wheelchair skill performance

  This outcome will be assessed using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) to identify, prioritize,and rate caregiver perceptions of children's performance of manual wheelchair skills and will provide the basis for manual wheelchair skills training intervention. A total of 4-5 occupational performance issues in the area of manual wheelchair skills will be identified and scored on a 1-10 scale for both the caregiver's perception of the child's performance and their satisfaction with the child's performance. This completed with children \>8-years-old, if they are able.

  Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention

• Change in manual wheelchair skill confidence

  This outcome will be assessed using the WheelConPed. This measure consists of a 0-4 rating skill for each of the 33 manual wheelchair use scenarios included in the measure.

  Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Change in behavior

  Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention

• Change in adaptive skills

  Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention

• Changes in perceptions regarding the manual wheelchair skills intervention

  Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention

Study Arms (1)

Manual wheelchair skills training

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: Manual Wheelchair Skills Training

Interventions

Manual Wheelchair Skills Training OTHER

The intervention involves manual wheelchair skills training.

Manual wheelchair skills training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 5 Years - 17 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• years of age. NOTE: Participants must be under 18 for the duration of the study.
• Have a condition resulting in difficulties walking.
• Use a manual wheelchair greater than or equal to 25% of the time
• Are able to follow simple instructions per parent report
• Has at least one parent/caregiver who is able to converse in English (as assessed by the PI during interactions over the phone and in person) due to safety concerns.
• Resides in Michigan

You may not qualify if:

• Any reason that it would not be safe for the child to participate in manual wheelchair training (as assessed by the PI, a licensed physical therapist)
• The child's manual wheelchair is not safe (as assessed by the PI, a licensed physical therapist)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Grand Valley State University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Grand Valley State University

Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Spinal Dysraphism; Cerebral Palsy; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Spinal Cord Injuries; Motor Skills Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neural Tube Defects; Nervous System Malformations; Nervous System Diseases; Congenital Abnormalities; Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities; Brain Damage, Chronic; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Spinal Cord Diseases; Trauma, Nervous System; Wounds and Injuries; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 30, 2022
• First Posted: April 21, 2022
• Study Start: May 5, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027
• Last Updated: September 15, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Locations

US (1)