Therapeutic Climbing for Children With DCD (Climbing TDC)

Therapeutic Group Climbing for Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: Randomized Crossover Trial

This study looks at whether therapeutic climbing - indoor climbing activities guided by therapists - can help children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).

DCD is a condition where children have difficulty with motor skills and participation in everyday activities, and sometimes confidence in physical activities.

The climbing program is based on a problem-solving approach called CO-OP (Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance), in which children learn strategies to achieve goals.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: CO-OP-based group therapeutic climbing intervention

Detailed Description

Background: Therapeutic climbing, based on the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach, may improve goal performance and satisfaction in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), as well as their motivation and self-efficacy toward physical activity.

Objective: This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a CO-OP-based group therapeutic climbing intervention for children with DCD.

Methods: A randomized crossover trial will be conducted with children with DCD. The intervention will consist of a 10-week group-based therapeutic climbing program delivered in an indoor climbing setting. Primary outcomes will include performance and satisfaction related to individualized goals. Secondary outcomes will assess motor skills, self-efficacy, executive functions, motivation toward physical activity, and transfer of learning. Effects of the intervention will be assessed using linear mixed effects models.

Results: It is hypothesized that participants will demonstrate improvements in both primary and secondary outcomes following the intervention.

Conclusions: This study will contribute to the evidence base regarding therapeutic climbing and CO-OP-based interventions for children with DCD, informing future rehabilitation practices.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 16
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Emmanuelle Jasmin, Ph.D.; Phone Number: 1-819-342-0305; Email: emmanuelle.jasmin@usherbrooke.ca

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of DCD by a physician*.
• Ability to follow instructions, communicate verbally, interact with adults and peers, and use cognitive strategies.
• Ability to attend all assessment and intervention sessions in Sherbrooke.
• Ability to understand and speak French.
• Provision of child assent and parental consent. * If the target sample size (n = 16) is not reached, children with suspected DCD based on the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ) (25,26) will also be considered. Eligibility will then require: (1) a score below the 15th percentile on the total motor composite or below the 5th percentile in a domain of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT) (27,28), and (2) the identification of occupational challenges using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) (29,30) during the initial assessment.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of severe behavioral disorders, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and/or severe functional limitations.
• Prior proficiency in climbing or absence of climbing-related goals.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group 1; First group intervention - Fall 2026	Other: CO-OP-based group therapeutic climbing intervention; The intervention will consist of a 10-week group-based therapeutic climbing program delivered once weekly on Saturday afternoons at an indoor climbing center. Sessions will be delivered by an occupational therapist (OT), two occupational therapy interns, and a certified climbing monitor (hereafter referred to as "intervention providers"). Each 90-minute session will follow the same global structure. The intervention is grounded in the CO-OP approach.
Experimental: Group 2; Second group intervention - Winter 2026	Other: CO-OP-based group therapeutic climbing intervention; The intervention will consist of a 10-week group-based therapeutic climbing program delivered once weekly on Saturday afternoons at an indoor climbing center. Sessions will be delivered by an occupational therapist (OT), two occupational therapy interns, and a certified climbing monitor (hereafter referred to as "intervention providers"). Each 90-minute session will follow the same global structure. The intervention is grounded in the CO-OP approach.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Performance related to individualized goals	Assess with the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)	Baseline (2-3 months before the intevention, pre-intervention (immediatly before the intervention), post-intervention (immediatly after the intervention), follow-up 2-3 months post-intervention
Satisfaction related to individualized goals	Assess with the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)	Baseline (2-3 months before the intervention, pre-intervention (immediatly before the intervention), post-intervention (immediatly after the intervention), follow-up 2-3 months post-intervention
Performance related to climbing-specific goals	Assess with the Performance Quality Rating Scale (PQRS)	Baseline (2-3 months before the intervention, pre-intervention (immediatly before the intervention), post-intervention (immediatly after the intervention), follow-up 2-3 months post-intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Motor skills	Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Third Edition (BOT-3)	Baseline (2-3 months before the intervention, pre-intervention (immediatly before the intervention), post-intervention (immediatly after the intervention), follow-up 2-3 months post-intervention
Self-efficacy	Assess with the French adaptation of the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES)	Baseline (2-3 months before the intervention, pre-intervention (immediatly before the intervention), post-intervention (immediatly after the intervention), follow-up 2-3 months post-intervention
Executive functioning	Assess with the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF-2)	Baseline (2-3 months before the intervention, pre-intervention (immediatly before the intervention), post-intervention (immediatly after the intervention), follow-up 2-3 months post-intervention
Motivation for physical activity	Assess with the Pictorial Motivation Scale (PMS) for physical activity	Baseline (2-3 months before the intervention, pre-intervention (immediatly before the intervention), post-intervention (immediatly after the intervention), follow-up 2-3 months post-intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Université de Sherbrooke
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Emmanuelle Jasmin, Ph.D., Université de Sherbrooke

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): May 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 6, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 6, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 12, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 19, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 19, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Occupational therapy; Group intervention; Therapeutic climbing; Neurodevelopmental condition; Participation-oriented approach
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Motor Skills Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2026-6195; Mental health 2025-2026 (Other Identifier: Pediatric Research Foundation)

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