Effect of an 8-Week Pickleball Program for Adults With Autism: A Feasibility Trial With a Delayed-Control Design

NCT07432776 | Recruiting Early Phase 1

• 1 other identifier: STUDY00027574
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an 8-week, community-based pickleball program can improve sensory-motor function and reduce the severity of core autism symptoms in adults ages 18-45 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who can participate independently without a caregiver. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Complete an in-person baseline visit at a local public library to provide written consent, complete surveys (SRS-2, PROMIS Depression and Sleep measures, and WHOQOL-BREF), and complete a video game-based sensory-motor assessment (HaptiKart).
• Be randomly assigned to either start pickleball classes immediately or after an initial delay period.
• Attend pickleball classes twice per week for 8 weeks (90 minutes per class; 16 sessions total), led by trained instructors at community indoor court facilities.
• Continue their usual activities during periods when they are not assigned to pickleball classes.
• Complete a brief pickleball skill assessment during the intervention period at their first and last class.
• Complete follow-up assessments after each phase of the study to repeat surveys and sensory-motor testing.
• Participants will also wear a small activity monitor (ActiGraph) during pickleball sessions to measure in-class physical activity levels, and complete brief online check-ins about safety/injury and program feedback during the intervention period.

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Keywords

Autism Spectrum Disorder; ASD; Autism; Adult; Pickleball; Sensory-Motor; Sensorimotor

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Sensory-Motor Function (HaptiKart task outcomes)

  Sensory-motor integration and proprioceptive bias measured using the HaptiKart videogame task.

  T1 (Week 0, enrollment) may occur up to 4 weeks prior to initiation of pickleball intervention; T2 approximately 10 weeks after baseline (up to 12 weeks); T3 approximately 18 weeks after baseline (up to 20 weeks).

• Autism Symptom Severity (SRS-2 Total Score)

  Core autism symptom severity measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd edition (SRS-2), adult self-report, total score. The SRS-2 consists of 65 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = not true; 4 = almost always true). Raw total scores range from 0 to 195. Higher scores indicate greater severity of autism-related social impairment.

  T1 (Week 0, enrollment) may occur up to 4 weeks prior to initiation of pickleball intervention; T2 approximately 10 weeks after baseline (up to 12 weeks); T3 approximately 18 weeks after baseline (up to 20 weeks).

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Depression Symptoms (PROMIS Depression)

  T1 (Week 0, enrollment) may occur up to 4 weeks prior to initiation of pickleball intervention; T2 approximately 10 weeks after baseline (up to 12 weeks); T3 approximately 18 weeks after baseline (up to 20 weeks).

• Sleep-Related Impairment

  T1 (Week 0, enrollment) may occur up to 4 weeks prior to initiation of pickleball intervention; T2 approximately 10 weeks after baseline (up to 12 weeks); T3 approximately 18 weeks after baseline (up to 20 weeks).

• Sleep Disturbance

  T1 (Week 0, enrollment) may occur up to 4 weeks prior to initiation of pickleball intervention; T2 approximately 10 weeks after baseline (up to 12 weeks); T3 approximately 18 weeks after baseline (up to 20 weeks).

• Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF)

  T1 (Week 0, enrollment) may occur up to 4 weeks prior to initiation of pickleball intervention; T2 approximately 10 weeks after baseline (up to 12 weeks); T3 approximately 18 weeks after baseline (up to 20 weeks).

Other Outcomes (2)

• Pickleball Skill Performance

  At the first attended pickleball session (initiation of the 8-week intervention) and at the final pickleball session (completion of the 8-week intervention; approximately Week 8).

• Physical Activity During Sessions (ActiGraph)

  During selected pickleball sessions throughout the 8-week intervention period (Weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8 of the intervention).

Study Arms (2)

Early Start Pickleball (Intervention)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to this arm begin the community-based pickleball program immediately after baseline testing. They participate in supervised pickleball classes twice per week for 8 weeks (16 sessions total). Assessments are completed at baseline and after the Phase 1 intervention period. Participants then return to usual activities during Phase 2 and complete a follow-up assessment.

Behavioral: Pickleball Program (Community-Based)

Delayed Start (Waitlist/Usual Activity Control)

OTHER

Participants assigned to this arm continue their usual activities during Phase 1 (no pickleball classes during this initial period). They complete baseline and post-Phase 1 assessments, then begin the same community-based pickleball program during Phase 2 (twice per week for 8 weeks; 16 sessions total). A final post-intervention assessment is completed after the Phase 2 intervention period.

Behavioral: Pickleball Program (Community-Based)

Interventions

Pickleball Program (Community-Based) BEHAVIORAL

Group-based beginner-friendly pickleball classes delivered in community indoor court facilities. Sessions occur twice per week for 8 weeks (16 sessions total), approximately 90 minutes per session, led by trained instructors.

Delayed Start (Waitlist/Usual Activity Control); Early Start Pickleball (Intervention)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 18-45 years
• Clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Able to participate in group-based activities without caregiver support
• Able to understand English and independently communicate without assistance
• Available for at least two sessions per week for the intervention dates
• Access to reliable transportation to the intervention site
• Able to provide informed consent (i.e., no legally authorized representative)
• Pre-exercise screening indicates medical clearance is not needed, based on ACSM guidelines

You may not qualify if:

• Clinical diagnosis of intellectual disability (ID)
• Does not have normal or corrected-to-normal vision
• Actively participating in a racquet sport ≥1 time per week
• Use of mobility aids
• Moderate-to-severe joint pain (WOMAC pain subscale)
• Neurologic conditions (cerebral palsy, severe head injury, progressive neurological disorders, epilepsy)
• Individuals who cannot provide their own informed consent (i.e., have a legally authorized representative)
• Individuals who require medical clearance for exercise based on the ACSM preparticipation screening questionnaire

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Penn State University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Penn State Harrisburg

Middletown, Pennsylvania, 17011, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Lidstone DE, Singhala M, Wang LJ, Brown JD, Mostofsky SH. HaptiKart: An engaging videogame reveals elevated proprioceptive bias in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. PLOS Digit Health. 2025 Jun 18;4(6):e0000879. doi: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000879. eCollection 2025 Jun.

  PMID: 40531815 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• Related Info

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autistic Disorder

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Chris Sciammana, MD

  Penn State College of Medicine

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Daniel E Lidstone, Ph.D.

  Penn State Harrisburg

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: early phase 1
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: This study uses a two-arm, parallel-group, delayed-start controlled trial design. Participants are randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either an Early Start intervention group or a Delayed Start group. Randomization is performed separately within each location to maintain balanced group allocation at each site. During Phase 1, the Early Start group participates in the 8-week pickleball intervention while the Delayed Start group continues usual activities. After completion of Phase 1 assessments, the Delayed Start group receives the same intervention during Phase 2. The Early Start group resumes usual activities during Phase 2 and completes an additional follow-up assessment to evaluate whether intervention-related changes are maintained beyond the initial intervention period.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 7, 2026
• First Posted: February 25, 2026
• Study Start: February 2, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 15, 2026
• Last Updated: February 25, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Locations

US (1)