IndieTrainer: Enabling Individuals With Cerebral Palsy to Receive Power Mobility Training

July 30, 2025 updated by: Lisa Kenyon, Grand Valley State University

IndieTrainer: Enabling Individuals With Cerebral Palsy to Receive Gamified Power Mobility Training in Their Own Manual Wheelchairs

Power wheelchairs offer children who are unable to independently opportunities for participation in social, educational, and leisure activities. Unfortunately, children who have severe cognitive, motor, or sensory impairments may need extended training to be able to master the power wheelchairs skills needed to "qualify" for their own power wheelchairs. The IndieTrainer system was developed to address this need. The IndieTrainer system is comprised of the IndieGo device and video-game modules. The IndieGo device temporarily converts a manual wheelchair into a powered wheelchair, thereby allowing children to remain in their own manual wheelchair and use their own custom seating system during power wheelchair skills training activities. The video-game modules are integrated into the IndieGo device such that the video games can be played on a television screen using the specific access method used to control the IndieGo (i.e., switch or joystick). The IndieTrainer system is designed to allow a child to practice power wheelchair skills as part of the video-game modules or as part of more traditional power wheelchair skills training activities wherein children are able to actively explore the environment and practice executing actual wheelchair skills. This study will evaluate the use of the IndieTrainer system in children with cerebral palsy, ages 3-21 years.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
25

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Lisa K. Kenyon, PT, PhD, PCS
  • Phone Number: 616-331-5653
  • Email: kenyonli@gvsu.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Michigan
      • Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, 49504
        • Grand Valley State University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

3 years to 21 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Has a diagnosis of cerebral palsy or similar conditions with functional abilities consistent with a Gross Motor Classification System Classification System Level IV or Level V
  • Inability to functionally self-propel a manual wheelchair
  • Does not have an individually prescribed powered wheelchair
  • Currently using a manual wheelchair or adaptive stroller that can be safely used with the IndieTrainer system (i.e., functioning wheel brakes to remain locked onto platform, etc.) as assessed by the PI
  • 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

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any condition or issue that would prevent a child from safely using the IndieTrainer system as determined by the PI, a licensed physical therapist.

  • The child and his/her manual wheelchair or adaptive stroller combined must weigh <300 pounds to safely use the IndieTrainer.

    • A diagnosis of a progressive condition with the potential for functional decline across the study period, such as spinal muscular atrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, etc.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Other: Single arm: All child participants receive the intervention
All child participants receive power wheelchair skills training using the IndieTrainer system.
Other: IndieTrainer system
The IndieTrainer system is comprised of the IndieGo device and video-game modules. The IndieGo device temporarily converts a manual wheelchair into a powered wheelchair, thereby allowing children to remain in their own manual wheelchair and use their own custom seating system during power wheelchair skills training activities. The video-game modules are integrated into the IndieGo device such that the video games can be played on a TV screen using the specific access method used to control the IndieGo (i.e., switch or joystick). The IndieTrainer system is designed to allow a child to practice power wheelchair skills as part of the video-game modules or as part of more traditional power wheelchair skills training activities wherein children are able to actively explore the environment and practice executing actual wheelchair skills.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Child Participants' Understanding How to Use a Power Mobility Device Between Baseline and Immediately After the Conclusion of the Intervention Period at Week 3
Time Frame: From baseline to immediately after the conclusion of the intervention period at Week 3
This outcome will be assessed using each child participant's score (from a minimum of 1 to a maximal of 8) on the Assessment of Learning Powered mobility use. The Assessment of Learning Powered mobility use measures a child's understanding of how to use a power mobility device. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.
From baseline to immediately after the conclusion of the intervention period at Week 3
Change in Child Participants' Power Mobility Skill Performance Between Baseline and Immediately After the Conclusion of the Intervention Period at Week 3
Time Frame: From baseline to immediately after the conclusion of the intervention period at Week 3
This outcome will be assessed using the Wheelchair Skills Checklist that evaluates a child's performance of 7 items, each reflecting a specific power mobility skill. Each item is scored from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 2 with a higher score indicating a better outcome. Total scores for all 7 items range from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 14 with higher scores therefore indicate a better outcome.
From baseline to immediately after the conclusion of the intervention period at Week 3
Change in Parental/Caregiver Perceptions of Their Child's Power Mobility Skills Performance Between Baseline and Immediately Following the End of the Intervention Period at Week 3.
Time Frame: From baseline to immediately after the conclusion of the intervention period at Week 3
This outcome will be assessed using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure to rate parent/caregiver perceptions of their child's performance of 5 power mobility skills. Each skill is rated from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 10. A higher score indicates a better outcome. The total score on all 5 items ranges from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 50. A higher score indicates a better outcome.
From baseline to immediately after the conclusion of the intervention period at Week 3
Change in Child Participants' Understanding How to Use a Power Mobility Device From Immediately After the Conclusion of the Intervention Period at Week 3 to the End of the Follow-up Period at Week 7
Time Frame: From immediately after the conclusion of the intervention period at Week 3 to the end of the follow-up period at Week 7
This outcome will be assessed using each child participant's score (from a minimum of 1 to a maximal of 8) on the Assessment of Learning Powered mobility use. The Assessment of Learning Powered mobility use measures a child's understanding of how to use a power mobility device. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.
From immediately after the conclusion of the intervention period at Week 3 to the end of the follow-up period at Week 7
Change in Child Participants' Power Mobility Skill Performance Between the Conclusion of the Intervention Period at Week 3 and the End of the Follow up Period at Week 7.
Time Frame: From immediately after the conclusion of the intervention period at Week 3 to the end of the follow-up period at Week 7
This outcome will be assessed using the Wheelchair Skills Checklist that evaluates a child's performance of 7 items, each reflecting a specific power mobility skill. Each item is scored from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 2 with a higher score indicating a better outcome. Total scores for all 7 items range from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 14 with higher scores therefore indicate a better outcome.
From immediately after the conclusion of the intervention period at Week 3 to the end of the follow-up period at Week 7

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Parent/Caregiver Satisfaction With the IndieTrainer System Intervention Immediately After the Conclusion of the Intervention at Week 3
Time Frame: Immediately after the conclusion of the intervention at Week 3
This outcome will be assessed through use of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 an 8-item questionnaire exploring stakeholder satisfaction with an intervention. Response choices for each item range from minimum of 1 to a maximum of 4. Higher scores indicate higher satisfaction. Total scores on the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 range from a minimum of 8 to a maximum of 32. Higher total scores indicate higher satisfaction with the intervention.
Immediately after the conclusion of the intervention at Week 3

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Grand Valley State University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 8, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 31, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 21, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 21, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 25, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 31, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 30, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 20-278-H

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Consist with NIH requirements, at the conclusion of the study, deidentified data collected in this study will be placed in a repository where it can be accessed by other researchers for future studies.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

IPD will be made available 6 months following publication of study results

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Study results and summaries will be publicly available at clinicaltrials.gov. For specific IPD, the study PI and co-investigators will review all requests for data sharing. Data will be shared for purposes of secondary analysis, contribution to a population-related database, or similar reasons that are intended to advance the evidence-based provision of family-centered care for children with disabilities.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • ICF
  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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