Dance for Children With Autism

NCT ID: NCT04762290

Last Updated: 2025-04-16

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 35 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2021-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2024-08-31

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.

Detailed Description

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, 2,3, 4, 5) 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.

Conditions

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Active Group

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.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Dance

Intervention Type: OTHER

The intervention is a series of expressive dance movements.

Waitlist Control

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).

Group Type: OTHER

Dance

Intervention Type: OTHER

The intervention is a series of expressive dance movements.

Interventions

Dance

The intervention is a series of expressive dance movements.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Other Intervention Names

expressive movement

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

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

Exclusion Criteria

• 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

• Minimum Eligible Age: 8 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 12 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

FED

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of California, Los Angeles

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Rujuta B. Wilson, MD

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Rujuta B Wilson, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of California, Los Angeles

Locations

UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine

Los Angeles, California, United States

Countries

United States

References

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.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 38745176 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

20-001680-AM-00005

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id