Water Competency Intervention in Autism

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

108 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-09-19

Study Completion Date

2029-04-30

Brief Summary

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AquOTic is an evidence-based, occupational therapy-led intervention designed to enhance water competency and swim safety skills in children on the autism spectrum. The 10-week program consists of weekly 60-minute group sessions, each including six children paired in a 1:1 ratio with an interventionist. Sessions follow a structured routine involving six rotating stations, targeting various swim and safety skills, with the flexibility for individualized support by the interventionist.

Overall, this study has 3 major aims. The first aim evaluates the effectiveness of the AquOTic intervention in improving water competency and swim skills, while comparing outcomes between two implementation models: professional student interventionists (occupational and physical therapy students) and trained community-based interventionists. A total of 108 autistic children will be enrolled and randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) AquOTic with professional student interventionists, (2) AquOTic with community interventionists, or (3) a control group receiving no AquOTic intervention. The second aim explores the mediators and moderators of the intervention outcomes to assess fidelity and efficacy. The third aim identifies the cost and resources associated with AquOTic. A cost analysis will be conducted to evaluate the resources required for implementation and to inform the development of a scalable, cost-effective drowning prevention strategy for autistic populations.

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Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Autism Spectrum Disorders

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

This study employs a hybrid Type I efficacy-implementation design, aiming to evaluate both the effectiveness of the AquOTic intervention and to advance the science of implementation. While hybrid Type I trials traditionally emphasize clinical effectiveness, this study extends beyond identifying implementation barriers and facilitators by preliminarily assessing proposed implementation mechanisms. Specifically, it will examine therapeutic alliance and attitudes toward the AquOTic intervention as hypothesized factors associated with high intervention fidelity. The trial will utilize a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, with participants randomly assigned to one of three study arms: (1) AquOTic with professional student interventionists, (2) AquOTic with community interventionists, or (3) a control group receiving no AquOTic intervention, while outcomes assessors will remain blinded to group assignment.

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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AquOTic with Professional Student Interventionist

Participants in this arm will participate in the 10-week AquOTic intervention with their one to one interventionists being professional students (OT/PT students currently enrolled at OSU).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

AquOTic

Intervention Type OTHER

AquOTic is an evidence-based, occupational therapy-led intervention designed to enhance water competency and swim safety skills in children on the autism spectrum. The 10-week program consists of weekly 60-minute group sessions, each including six children paired in a 1:1 ratio with an interventionist. Sessions follow a structured routine involving six rotating stations, targeting various swim and safety skills, with the flexibility for individualized support by the interventionist.

AquOTic with Community Interventionists

Participants in this arm will participate in the 10-week AquOTic intervention with their one to one interventionists being community interventionists (high school or undergraduate students in the community).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

AquOTic

Intervention Type OTHER

AquOTic is an evidence-based, occupational therapy-led intervention designed to enhance water competency and swim safety skills in children on the autism spectrum. The 10-week program consists of weekly 60-minute group sessions, each including six children paired in a 1:1 ratio with an interventionist. Sessions follow a structured routine involving six rotating stations, targeting various swim and safety skills, with the flexibility for individualized support by the interventionist.

Control Group

Participants will NOT receive AquOTic intervention and will engage in usual and customary water exposure.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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AquOTic

AquOTic is an evidence-based, occupational therapy-led intervention designed to enhance water competency and swim safety skills in children on the autism spectrum. The 10-week program consists of weekly 60-minute group sessions, each including six children paired in a 1:1 ratio with an interventionist. Sessions follow a structured routine involving six rotating stations, targeting various swim and safety skills, with the flexibility for individualized support by the interventionist.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Educational or medical diagnosis of autism
* Age between 5 - 9 years
* Having vision and hearing within normal limits with or without corrective modifications

* Aged 18 or over
* Demonstrate swim proficiency, as defined by the ability to tread water for 1 minute and move the body through the water without flotation for 25 yards

Exclusion Criteria

* Children who demonstrate swim proficiency, as defined by the ability to tread water for 1 minute or move the body through the water without flotation
* Open wounds or infectious skin diseases
* Allergy to chlorine
* Severe co-occurring motor impairments or neurological conditions such as uncontrolled seizures, Rett's or Angelman's syndrome
* The family is unable to commit to the sessions or evaluations

Interventionists (n=64)

* Open wounds or infectious diseases
* Failed background check
* Unable to commit to Basic Swim Instructor and AquOTic training (\~40 hours) and 10 AquOTic sessions (20 hours)

Minimum Eligible Age

5 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

9 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No