Dance for Children With Autism (Dance and NDDs)

Dance for Children With Autism: a Therapeutic Intervention to Improve Motor Ability, Quality of Life, Social Communication, Perceived Physical Competence, and Self-efficacy

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Dance

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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Rujuta B Wilson, MD; Phone Number: 12085206778; Email: rbhatt@mednet.ucla.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095
      • Recruiting
      • UCLA david geffen school of medicine
      • Contact: Rujuta B Wilson, MD; Phone Number: 208-520-6778; Email: rbhatt@mednet.ucla.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 4 years to 17 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• There are no inclusion criteria based on gender, pregnancy/childbearing potential, race, ethnicity, or language spoken
• 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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: 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.	Other: Dance; The intervention is a series of expressive dance movements.; Other Names: expressive movement
Other: 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).	Other: Dance; The intervention is a series of expressive dance movements.; Other Names: expressive movement

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale	A measure of adaptive behavior and motor skills. The minimum value is 21 and maximum value is 140. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.	45 minutes
Perceived Motor Competence Scale Parent Report	A measure of perceived motor skills in the child. Higher scores indicate a better outcome. Scores are based on a likert scale of 1-4. The minimum score is 18 and the maximum score is 72.	5 minutes
Perceived Motor Competence Scale Child Report	A measure of perceived motor skills in the child (participant). Higher scores indicate a better outcome. The minimum score is 13 and the maximum score is 52.	5 minutes
Brief Observation of Social Communication Change	A videotaped observational coding of a child's social communication behavior.	10 minutes
Movement Assessment Battery for Children Checklist	Motor questionnaire. Higher scores indicate a worse outcome	10 minutes
Parenting Stress Scale	Measure of factors related to caregiver stress	5 minutes
Lifespan Self-Esteem Scale	Measure of self-esteem/self-confidence	2 minutes
Autism Impact Measure	Measure of child's behaviors and the degree of impact on everyday functioning	10 minutes
Quantitative Gait Assessment	Direct motor measure in which the child walks across a mat with embedded sensors. The mat used in this study is the Zeno Walkway Gait Analysis System. This assessment includes self-regulated walking, fast walking, and standing balance.	10 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Social responsiveness scale	A measure of social communication and autism traits. Higher scores indicate a worse outcome. A total T-score of 76 or higher is considered severe and strongly associated with a clinical diagnosis of Autistic Disorder. T-scores of 66 through 75 are interpreted as indicating Moderate deficiencies in reciprocal social behavior that are clinically significant and lead to substantial interference in everyday social interactions. T-scores of 60 to 65 are in the Mild range and indicate mild to moderate deficits in social interaction.T scores of 59 and below are considered to be within typical limits and generally not associated with clinically significant ASD	15 minutes
Survey for adults	Measure of child's physical activity levels and engagement	10 minutes
Survey for children	measure of self physical activity levels and engagement	10 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of California, Los Angeles
• Collaborators: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Rujuta B Wilson, MD, University of California, Los Angeles

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 31, 2021
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 30, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 17, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 17, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): February 21, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 21, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 15, 2023
• Last Verified: September 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20-001680-AM-00005

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: At this time, there is not a plan to provide confidential individual participant data to other researchers. This study does not entail a medical condition or study of medication for a specific medical or genetic condition.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No