Exercise Interventions for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Summary

The purpose of this clinical trial is to find out whether exergame and aerobic exercise can improve sleep, movement skills, thinking abilities, and brain activity in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

This study aims to answer the following questions:

1. Can exergame and aerobic exercise improve sleep, movement skills, and thinking abilities in children with ASD?
2. Can exergame and aerobic exercise change brain activity in children with ASD?

Researchers will compare three different intervention programs:

1. Exergame combined with motor and behavioral intervention.
2. Aerobic exercise combined with motor and behavioral intervention.
3. Motor and behavioral intervention only. By comparing these three groups, researchers hope to determine whether adding exergames or aerobic exercise provides additional benefits for children with ASD.

Participants will:

1. Attend one intervention session each week for 8 weeks. Depending on the group they are assigned to, they will receive either exergames combined with motor and behavioral intervention, aerobic exercise combined with motor and behavioral intervention, or motor and behavioral intervention only.
2. Complete a home exercise program twice a week for 12 weeks.
3. Visit the laboratory three times for assessments: before the intervention begins, at the end of Week 8, and at the end of Week 12.

Conditions

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Exergaming

Exergaming is defined as a type of active video game (or non-immersive virtual reality) that requires players to engage in full-body movements, involving moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

PROCEDURE

Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise (AE) will apply interval-based training model, which serve as a feasible form of AE with intermittent, high-intensity, short-duration characteristics, and alternates between periods of activity and rest.

PROCEDURE

Conventional physical therapy

Conventional physical therapy focusing on fundamental motor skills including locomotion and ball skills.

BEHAVIORAL

Behavioral Education

Behavioral education focusing on sleep hygiene and behavioral strategies (e.g., extinction, reinforcement, developing appropriate bedtime and consistent bedtime routine) to facilitate specific strategies for enhancing child's sleep qualities

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Taiwan University Hospital

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

4 Years

Max Age

10 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-05-17

Primary Completion

2028-07-30

Completion

2028-07-30

Countries

• Taiwan

Study Locations