Clinical trial NCT02940899: Syracuse University Fit Families Program: Autism
Official title: Fit Families Program for Children With Autism
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorders
Lead sponsor: Syracuse University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Texas Woman's University
First posted: 2016-10-21
Enrollment: 36
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 5
Maximum age (years): 11
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: Syracuse University Fit Families is designed to increase the activity level and frequency of the children through modified activities using adapted equipment and, importantly, to increase the families' comfort level in having their children participate in a variety of physical activities, including team and individual sports.

Detailed description: Syracuse University Fit Families is designed to increase the activity level and frequency of the children through modified activities using adapted equipment and, importantly, to increase the families' comfort level in having the children participate in a variety of physical activities, including team and individual sports. By increasing physical activity levels, investigators can reduce sedentary behaviors that lead to conditions such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases. The investigators will provide a series of workshops that will also teach children and families how to access nearby facilities and modify familiar activities, resulting in health benefits for all. Children, and parents will be involved in developmentally designed, land-based and aquatic physical activities. Parents will be engage in vibrant discussions with professionals and other parents who share similar experiences.

Services provided through the Syracuse University Fit families program are designed to improve the emotional, social and physical well-being of the participants. This program will include 1) educational seminars for parents on topics that improve awareness, advocacy, and access to community services; 2) inclusive games and modified sports for children, and parents to improve self-awareness, social interactions, and physical fitness; 3) individual consultation with physical activity professionals to address children's and families' social and recreational needs; and 4) opportunities for social networking for families participating in the program, including mentoring of youth by adapted sports athletes.

The project is proposed to run from November 2015 through June 2017. Five one-day workshops will be offered annually to participants covering topics of: 1) sensory integration, 2) communication, 3) motor development and physical activity; 4) aquatic; and 5) sport opportunities (individual and team sport). As part of program evaluation, the investigators will be conducting measurements on parents (e.g., quality of life, physical activity levels) and children (e.g., social communication, sensory behaviors, quality of life, physical activity levels, blood pressure). The investigators will assess these in a pre-post fashion in order to determine whether the program has led to generalized improvements in these areas. The testing procedure requires minimal invasion and it is not overwhelming for the participants. The investigators have implemented similar procedures in previous programs.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders
* Children with autism spectrum disorders 5-11 years old
* Must be ambulatory
* Must be able to follow verbal or picture directions with support.
* Must not exhibit aggressive behavior.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Children with autism spectrum disorders younger than 4-11 years old
* Children with autism spectrum disorders older than 11 years old

Primary outcomes:
measure: Physical Activity
timeFrame: Two years
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Motor skills of Parents and Children
timeFrame: Two years
measure: Adaptive behavior
timeFrame: Two years
measure: Reported Behavior Problems
timeFrame: Two years
measure: Sensory Processing
timeFrame: Two years
measure: Quality of Life of Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
timeFrame: Two years
measure: Physical Activity Experiences
timeFrame: Two years
measure: Physical Activity Experiences
timeFrame: Two years
measure: Cardiovascular Health
timeFrame: Two years
measure: Cardiovascular Health
timeFrame: Two years
measure: Cardiovascular Health
timeFrame: Two years
measure: Cardiovascular Health
timeFrame: Two years
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Syracuse
country: United States
facility: Syracuse University
state: New York
Study officials:
affiliation: Syracuse University
name: Luis Columna, Ph.D
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: