Effect of a Motor Support Program in Children With Autism

January 6, 2026 updated by: Gökçe Oktay, Istanbul Aydın University

The Effect of Motor Support Program Applıed to Chıldren wıth Autısm Spectrum Dısorder on Gross Motor and Sensory Motor

This study examined a motor support program applied for 40 minutes, two days per week, over a period of 12 weeks in children aged 4-6 years diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. A total of 28 children with autism spectrum disorder participated in the study, including 14 children in the experimental group and 14 children in the control group. In addition to their regular special education sessions, participants in the experimental group received the motor support program for 40 minutes, two days per week, for 12 weeks. Data collection instruments included the Gilliam Autistic Disorder Rating Scale-Second Edition, Turkish Version (GARS-2-TV), the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition, Short Form (BOT-2) for the assessment of gross motor skills, and the caregiver-completed Sensory Profile Questionnaire for the assessment of sensory-motor skills.

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.

Detailed Description

This study is a quasi-experimental research design including pretest-posttest experimental and control groups, and one of the previously determined groups was randomly assigned as the experimental group and the other as the control group. The study was conducted with a total of 28 children, including 14 children in the control group (CG) and 14 children in the experimental group (EG), aged between 4 and 6 years, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, who were continuing their education in special education and rehabilitation centers located in the Bayrampaşa and Esenyurt districts of Istanbul. The number of participants was determined using G*Power analysis, with a statistical power of 0.80, an effect size of 0.05, and a margin of error of 0.05. The inclusion criteria were defined as being between the ages of 4 and 6 years, having a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, having no additional intellectual disability, and having no health condition that would prevent participation in physical activity. Data collection instruments included the Gilliam Autistic Disorder Rating Scale-Second Edition, Turkish Version (GARS-2-TV), the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition, Short Form (BOT-2) for the assessment of gross motor skills, and the caregiver-completed Sensory Profile Questionnaire for the assessment of sensory-motor skills. The BOT-2 Short Form was administered in approximately 20-25 minutes per child. The GARS-2-TV, administered through interviews with caregivers, was completed in approximately 25-30 minutes per child. The Sensory Profile Questionnaire was completed by caregivers in approximately 30-35 minutes per child. As the GARS-2-TV requires certification for administration, the required training and certification were obtained by the evaluator.The motor support program (MSP) consisted of activities prepared in accordance with test protocols to support children's gross motor skills (e.g., throwing, jumping, catching, running) and sensory-motor skills (e.g., sensory modulation, sensory processing, and movement-related sensory input). The MSP was implemented for 60 minutes per session, two days per week, over a period of 12 weeks at the special education centers attended by the participants. A structured program was applied during the first 10 weeks, and during the final 2 weeks, a "choose-your-activity" approach was implemented, in which children selected activities from those applied during the previous weeks. Within each session, at least three different game-based activity formats targeting gross motor and sensory-motor skills were implemented. In subsequent weeks, different game formats were included to address multiple developmental domains.

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.
43

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 Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Istanbul
      • Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34320
        • Istanbul Aydin 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

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Being between 4 and 6 years of age
  • Having no health problems that would prevent participation in the study
  • Having been diagnosed with autism according to the Health Board and Guidance and Research Center (RAM) report
  • Not having previously participated in any motor-supported education programs (e.g., occupational therapy sessions)
  • Having no additional diagnoses related to physical or intellectual disabilities other than autism spectrum disorder

Exclusion Criteria:

  • The participant's failure to attend the training program for three consecutive sessions
  • The participant's failure to fulfill the assigned responsibilities
  • The participant's voluntary withdrawal from the study at any stage for any reason

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: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel 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.
No Intervention: Standard Education (No Motor Support)
Participants in the control group continued their individual education programs. However, they did not participate in any physiotherapy or motor support programs. Only pre- and post-test measurements were taken.
Experimental: Motor Support Program
The motor support program (MSP) consists of activities prepared by the researchers by taking into account the test protocols used to achieve desired changes in children's gross motor (throwing, jumping, catching, running, etc.), sensory-motor (sensory modulation, sensory processing, sensory inputs related to movement) skill levels and developmental areas.
Other: Motor Support Program
The MSP was administered by the first researcher for 60 minutes, 2 days a week for 12 weeks at the special education center where they were studying. A special program was prepared for the first 10 weeks, and in the last 2 weeks, a choose your activity activity was conducted. During this activity, children were presented with different options consisting of the activities implemented in the first 8 weeks and were asked to choose and implement them. Within each lesson plan, at least 3 different game formats were implemented for children's gross motor skills and sensory motor skills. In the following weeks, different game formats aime

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 Motor Skills as Measured by the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition - Short Form (BOT-2 SF)"
Time Frame: Evaluations were conducted at three time points: at baseline (pretest), at the end of the 12-week intervention (posttest).
In this study, the short form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Motor Competence Test-2 (BOT-2 SF), which was developed to assess the motor skill levels of individuals aged 4-21 years, was used. The short form used in the study consists of a total of eight subtests and 12 items. These subtests include fine motor accuracy, fine motor integration, manual agility, two-way coordination, balance, running speed and agility, hand-arm coordination and strength. The maximum score that can be obtained in the test is 50. As the total score increases, the level of motor skills increases.
Evaluations were conducted at three time points: at baseline (pretest), at the end of the 12-week intervention (posttest).
Sensory profile questionnaire to assess sensory motor skills
Time Frame: Evaluations were conducted at three time points: at baseline (pretest), at the end of the 12-week intervention (posttest).
The Sensory Profile Scala was designed by Dunn in 1999 to assess children's sensory processing skills and is administered to children aged 3-10 years. The scale aims to assess the sensory reactions of children in their daily lives and is completed by the caregiver. Turkish adaptation, validity and reliability study was conducted by Kayıhan et al. The Sensory Profile Scale consists of three main sections and their sub-sections: (1) Sensory processing, (2) Sensory modulation, and (3) Behavioral-emotional responses. The scale, which consists of 125 items in total, is structured to assess the frequency of children's behaviors in response to different sensory stimuli. The items are scored on a 5-point Likert-type rating system. In this system, "Always" response is evaluated as 1 point and "Never" response is evaluated as 5 points.As the total score on the scale increases, sensory regulation skills improve.
Evaluations were conducted at three time points: at baseline (pretest), at the end of the 12-week intervention (posttest).
The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-2 (GADRS) for the assessment of autism-related symptoms.
Time Frame: Evaluations were conducted at three time points: at baseline (pretest), at the end of the 12-week intervention (posttest).
This scale was developed by Gilliam (2006) to diagnose children with autism spectrum disorder. The scale is completed by caregivers. The scale consists of 3 sub-dimensions."0" means never observed while '3' means frequently observed. The scale consists of 42 items. The highest standard score that can be obtained from this scale is 153, and the lowest score is 55. A high total score indicates a high probability of ASD. A low score indicates a low likelihood of ASD. Since the Gilliam Autistic Disorder Rating Scale-2 is a scale that can be used with a certificate, the necessary training and certificate were obtained by the researcher.
Evaluations were conducted at three time points: at baseline (pretest), at the end of the 12-week intervention (posttest).

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.
Istanbul Aydın University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

  • Kayıhan H, Günel M. K, Bumin G. Adaptation of the Sensory Profile into Turkish for children aged 3-10 years: A validity and reliability study. Turkish Journal of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation. 2011; 22(2): 44-53.
  • Bruininks RH, & Oseretsky, B. D., 2010, Bruininks-Oseretsky Test Of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition, Brief Form. Bloomington: Psychcorp.

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.
January 5, 2024

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.
May 10, 2024

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.
June 5, 2024

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).
December 19, 2025

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.
January 6, 2026

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.
January 7, 2026

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.
January 7, 2026

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.
January 6, 2026

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.
January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • IUC-SBBEK-2024-143

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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